The Luca Mader Interview
The director on his new The Hellp documentary, crazy tour stories, how the band travels, his unique cinematography, and more
Luca Madar is the filmmaker behind the new The Hellp documentary, which follows the band on the Europe leg of their tour. It’s a short watch, and an unconventional one, eschewing plot in favor of atmosphere. A series of moments stitched together, backstage, in the hotel room, in the crowd.
We found the film provocative, and unlike any other tour documentary we’ve seen. So we sent Luca some questions.
See the documentary at the bottom of interview.
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Where are you from? What’s your background in the form and the philosophy behind your practice?
Luca Madar, 21 years old / born in 2004, Montpellier, south of France, I’m based in Paris now, I think I’m doing whatever, visual works in different fields, but mainly photography and videography, I wish I can make good music at some point, I wanted to study art but was forced to study business which I hated, even though I’m very happy about where I am right now so thank you papa and maman for putting me in the business school I guess. The philosophy behind my practice is kinda blurry as I don’t think often about it and things just come to me as they are. I feel like I’m a very lucky person because things always come to me when it’s needed. Right in time. I’m working a lot though, my life goal is to get the French medal la légion d’honneur.
Tell me about how you found yourself on tour with The Hellp. What were the steps that led to the footage we’re seeing ?
Met them for five seconds in Los Angeles during summer 2024, then in january 2025 by some communication mistakes I’ve found myself thinking I was hired to shoot the tour documentary for them while I was in reality not part of the plan, but by chance managed to get let in and brought around to actually shoot it. They have been very nice to me. When I arrived in Amsterdam for the first show I didn’t know them personally. I’m kind of a shy person, like not really shy but I just don’t want to bother anyone or be unwanted anywhere. So for the 2 first dates I was getting my own flights and accommodations then when we arrived in London for the 3rd show we partied together after the show and we became friends from this point, because I was being funny and less shy I guess. then they just took me everywhere with them since then.
The way this is put together is very unconventional in terms of format and plot. How did you land on this structure? What sort of experience were you trying to deliver viewers?
Honestly I don’t even know, I think it’s mainly influenced by the footage itself, they already have this vibe, and by my memories of how I felt during this tour.
There is no plot except the chronology of the tour which I think is cool but for the next one I’m preparing I wont do it the same way.
Structure is mainly influenced by repeated use of k mixed with whatever, I was on some sort of olympic run at the moment, which made me experience all those events under the prism of having 3 brain cells left. I don’t want to intellectualise too much, those things that happened genuinely. but to answer the overall question I’m trying to give the viewer an honest pov of how it feels to be on tour with The Hellp for 10 days as a 20 years old polite boy.
What’s your craziest tour story?
Most stories I can only tell in person idk if I can tell whatever I want I should ask them.
In London I fainted on stage and got dragged out by a girl I was trying to rizz then they put me in the freezer to relax. All the stories are about being fucked up, it’s not funny and not cool.
Why does live music matter?
Well I think it matters in the way that it’s the best context possible to enjoy music, especially theirs.
Live music has an atmosphere that you can only find there, the lights, Noah’s vocal loops between each song, Chandler twisting knobs effects make it more organic live. which is used a lot in the documentary, I used 0 audio files else than stuff from the actual shows , even though if its the same songs sometimes its always different
You saw The Hellp crowds in a number of different cities. In the broadest possible terms, how would you describe the people in these audiences? What are the archetypical traits of a The Hellp fan?
Honestly, I was expecting an army of Hedi boys, but in reality, it’s not really like that. And it genuinely depends on the city. I did feel like the crowd in the u.s. was a bit more stereotypical. probably because there’s a stronger internet-irony culture there. But overall it’s a mixed crowd. mostly young, probably 20 to 25 but if there’s one common trait, it’s that they really want to be there. They want to party. After every show in Europe, we’d talk to people outside the venue, and they were always nice, we’ve been partying a lot with people from the shows actually, they would always invite us and bring us to cool places and afters in the cities we were in.
You spent time on the road with the group. Who travels better, Noah or Chandler? Why? What some road antics you witness between /by the two of them?
We have been getting fried on the bus during the whole u.s.a tour at any hour of the day which was the funniest and the most cooked thing ever.
It’s not in this part though it will release later. I didn’t really hit the road on the first Europe tour but I’d say Noah is a pretty calm person, while Chandler is more hyperactive, it’s like Noah and Maggie in the front, then Chandler and I in the back like kids. Great songs on the aux all the time. One former member of The Hellp played his personal selection of thousands of blink182 songs which was something I was not ready for at the moment. Great stories all the time, been learning a lot of stuff. Couldn’t say who’s travels better they are balancing each others on the statistics
What’s something you’d want a viewer to know going into their first viewing?
Get a good sound system/earphones, maybe watch it with your bestfriend if you have a bestfriend.