Avicii documentary director on celebrating the late DJ without exploiting his death

Director Henrik Burman talks about chronicling the life of the Swedish DJ-producer, who died six years ago at the age of 28

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The director of the documentary “Avicii - I’m Tim,” talks about telling the story of the famous DJ (above) who died in 2018. Photo: AP

Published: 7:15pm, 31 Dec 2024

Avicii, the groundbreaking Swedish DJ-producer, died six years ago at 28. Two new films hitting Netflix this week aim to celebrate his life.

His death was a tragedy that reverberated around the world – much like his music, which brought unexpected genres and collaborators into his melodic EDM through forward-thinking, chart-topping hits like “Wake Me Up!” and “Hey Brother”.

A short concert film captured at what became his final performance, Avicii – My Last Show, and a full-length documentary, Avicii – I’m Tim, will premiere on December 31 on Netflix. They work to celebrate the artist born Tim Bergling, capturing his early life, the songs that made him famous, his insatiable curiosity and hunger for reinvention, and the people he left behind.

Avicii himself narrates a lot of the film – with material pulled from archival interviews and some never before published.

Capturing Avicii’s life and career was no easy feat, director Henrik Burman said. The project took half a decade, beginning before the pandemic and not long after the DJ’s death. Burman’s interviews were long and many. “To know people around Tim,” he says, was the only way “to know Tim”.