DESIRE: The Carl Craig Story (15) |Close-Up Film Review
Dir: Jean-Cosme Delaloye, Switzerland/UK, 2024, 90 mins
Cast: Carl Craig, Laurent Garnier, Roni Size, Moodymann, DJ Minx
Review by Matthew Morlai Kamara
It’s bold, alive, and absolutely unmissable. But more than anything, it feels like Carl Craig — a legend whose sound has bent genres, moved bodies, and redefined what techno can mean.
Carl Craig isn’t just a DJ. He’s a sonic visionary, an architect of feeling. The film traces his rise from middle-class Detroit roots to the global stage — not through flashy accolades, but through the sheer, revolutionary force of his music. From underground parties to high art institutions like MOCA and Carnegie Hall, Craig has built a legacy that bridges dance floors and galleries alike.
What makes DESIRE throb with power is its love letter to Detroit. This isn’t just the backdrop — it’s the heartbeat. The city bleeds through the screen in every sweat-soaked frame: industrial, soulful, defiant. Cinematographer Filip Zumbrunn captures its grit and grace, while the soundtrack — rich with Craig’s catalogue and peer contributions — pounds with urgency, history, and evolution.
The talking heads don’t just offer praise — they provide context. Techno titans like Laurent Garnier, Moodymann, DJ Minx, Gilles Peterson, and Roni Size unpack the cultural revolution Craig helped shape. But it’s Craig’s own openness that hits hardest. He talks candidly about identity, mental health, and the price of greatness. These aren’t polished anecdotes — they’re confessions from a man who’s been through the fire and come out transformed.
And that’s what makes the film special. It’s not just a music doc for techno heads — it’s a human story. It captures the joy, pain, and sacrifice behind creativity. It’s about chasing your voice, holding on to it, and reshaping the world with sound. It’s for dreamers. Builders. Anyone who knows what it means to create something that lasts. DESIRE captures Carl Craig not as a myth — but as the movement. A genius in motion. Electrifying. An essential, soul-thumping tribute to a true icon.
