Movie profile

Persecution Blues: the Battle for the Tote!

Punk, passion, politics and public protest collide, in this documentary depicting the fight to save rock and roll in Melbourne.

In 2010, the iconic Tote Hotel – last bastion of Melbourne’s vibrant music counterculture – was forced to close by unfair laws. Filmed over 7 years, “Persecution Blues” depicts the struggle of more than 20,000 fans – and the bands who inspire them – to preserve their history and protect their future, and puts the audience on the front line of an epic-scale culture war.

Directed by Natalie van den Dungen