Neil Young stands as one of the most prominent figures in modern music, with a songwriting career that has inspired countless critiques. Many documentaries have explored his work, leading some to wonder if there’s anything new to say about this legendary artist and his music.
However, the new documentary *Coastal* offers exactly that. It presents a unique, intimate perspective on Neil Young as a person, revealing his warmth, wit, and artistic desire to embrace the novel and unexpected.
*Coastal* is a captivating experience that transports viewers into a world filled with bus rides, soundchecks, and spontaneous encounters with fans. Directed by Young’s longtime partner Daryl Hannah, who is well-versed in both filmmaking and acting, this film’s cinema verite style allows audiences to observe Young as he embarks on an unconventional Coastal tour featuring smaller venues, solo performances, and constantly changing setlists that highlight lesser-known songs.
Set to be released in theaters worldwide on April 17th, *Coastal* provides a distinctive insight into a transformative figure in songwriting.
Daryl Hannah kindly took the time to discuss the film with Clash.
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Many fans may not be aware that you’ve been documenting Neil Young’s career for ten years now, correct?
Yes, I mainly film for his archives and occasionally create his music videos. I've also made several other documentaries. It’s a comfortable collaboration.
From the very beginning, you aimed to create this documentary with a cinema verite approach—what drew you to that style?
Cinema verite documentaries are my preferred style. I find them more engaging than traditional interview-based films. I love the feeling of being right there in the moment.
My uncle was a cinematographer and worked on several films with Haskell Wexler, and I had the chance to assist on those, holding the boom!
There are so many filmmakers I admire, like Agnes Varda; I really appreciate how she crafts her films and shares her perspective.
Ultimately, I intended to be a fly on the wall, but Neil kept talking to me! After resisting for months, I decided to include some of those candid moments because they provided insight into his openness and humanity. It turned out to be a lovely addition.
Neil Young is a legendary and often enigmatic figure, but those spontaneous moments add immense value.
You’re right… many view him as a mysterious persona. That’s why I opted to include those moments, showcasing his sweetness and openness, revealing more of his humanity and less of the myth.
Were there any filming restrictions?
He has tremendous trust in me and provided much creative support. Neil believes in my vision completely, which I've never experienced before in any relationship. He understands the need for artistic freedom, so he granted me full support. I didn’t show him any footage until we were nearly finished because he didn’t want that level of input; he wanted me to create what I envisioned.
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The setlists varied dramatically each night—how interesting was that for you as a filmmaker?
It was incredibly interesting, but also quite challenging due to our filming conditions. The shows were held in more intimate theatres, so we were very close to the audience. I thought it inappropriate to have a camera person front and center at a solo show, so I aimed to remain as unobtrusive as possible. Also, with a no-budget film, we only had three cameras that we tried to position discreetly. During soundchecks, we’d speculate on what he might play that night and often guessed incorrectly! Before the tour, he expressed his desire to perform songs he rarely shared before, some he had never played live. There were two pianos on stage, and sometimes we expected one instrument, but he’d pick up a guitar instead! During editing, we couldn’t cover every song from each night—we worked with what we had.
In the film, Neil mentions to the bus driver that many fans prefer to hear familiar songs—there’s an evident note of frustration there.
That rings true for all artists. Fans want to hear their favorites, songs tied to personal memories. However, Neil chose to focus on lesser-known tracks, creating a wonderful experience where audiences were completely captivated. You could literally hear a pin drop; even in larger venues, every lyric resonated. Some songs were quite old, yet it felt like he was playing them for the first time, enhancing the emotion as expectations were minimal.
The editing process for something like this must be quite extensive…
Absolutely, the essence of a documentary is shaped in the editing room. You truly don’t know what you have until you spend significant time there, especially with this film.
When we began editing, I was shocked—since we hadn't reviewed our dailies, we discovered one microphone on the bus had been unintentionally placed over the engine, making the audio inaudible! I was worried we didn’t have a film! Thankfully, we found a talented person who helped eliminate the engine noise, though some dialogue was lost, as we
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Neil Young is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary music, a songwriter who has generated a vast amount of analysis and critique. Many