Stamping Ground
Digitally restored registration of the Holland Pop Festival, the legendary 1970 Rotterdam version of Woodstock.
The Holland Pop Festival was the first big pop music festival in Europe. Approximately a hundred thousand people visited the festival. Bands like Santana, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane and T. Rex entered the stage and rocked the audience during daytime, whereas Pink Floyd performed a magical set in the dark. Just like Woodstock a year before, the Holland Pop Festival was vividly captured on camera by a team of young film talents, including Theo van de Sande and Jan de Bont. The documentary is directed by George Sluizer, who would later on in his career make THE VANISHING.
Besides a film concert, STAMPING GROUND is a beautiful portrait of Dutch youth enjoying free love, music and recreational drugs for three days. This perspective shows us exactly what we need during this strange summer: peace, love and spirituality.