'From The Sky Down' Tonight, Sunday

9 Oct 201116
Tonight, TV viewers in the UK and Ireland are first to see From The Sky Down, Davis Guggenheim's documentary about the making of Achtung Baby.

Twenty years on the film  'traces the album's genesis using animation and previously unseen footage from Berlin and Dublin alongside interviews with the band as they reflect on what was a key chapter in their career.

'In the terrain of rock bands - implosion or explosion is seemingly inevitable. ' says Guggenheim. 'U2 has defied the gravitational pull towards destruction... this band has endured and thrived. From The Sky Down asks the question why.'

BBC1 broadcast details/ timings.

Broadcasts are also coming up in the next few weeks through: Showtime in the US; Superchannel in Canada; ABC in Australia;  Multishow in Brazil;  Wow Wow in Japan; Sky in Italy and NTR in Holland. (Check local listings for confirmed dates and times.)

If you're watching in the UK and Ireland tonight and planning to tweet about the documentary, use the hashtag #theskydown.

Once you've seen it - add your own review below.

Comments
16
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christyblue
Loved it !!
great documentary lads,I enjoyed it :) Loved The Edge singing Love is Blindness by himself awesome :)
MysteriousWaz
One
Although not a personal favourite of mine, I never realised what a pivitol song One was for the band - especially when they were at their lowest ebb! I now have a new found respect for this song.
hmmm.
Before I start I had better say that I love U2. And that I love Achtung Baby beyond any other record in the history of popular music. That said, I found the curious focus on This past year.. Glasto and the like to be baffling. Maybe it is because though I still love them... I don't see that same inspiration in the band now... I wanted more... more about Hansa... more old footage, more of the old tapes being played. Not them in a studio this year not playing the songs as well as they used to. I know that they can do that.. I wanted more about the breakdown of Edge's marriage... the guitar solo from love is blindness.. Flood pumping the gain through the speakers on the intro to Zoo Station.. I didn't want a sort of "anthology" lite. Achtung Babty was their creative zenith.. their peak. And it deserved better than that film.
Manic Morag
Unbelievable!
I really should leave this 'comment' section blank as words really do fail me. From the Sky Down was fascinating, from start to finish - I absolutely loved it! There comes a point where you start to take the ones you love for granted. I think that I've fallen head over heels in love with U2 all over again. I've never doubted my passion for U2 and their music, but this documentary went some way to re-inforcing that love and devotion. It also brought home to me everyone's dedication and commitment to each other and the music. This is why no one else comes close to U2. Thank you.
rookman
Blew me away..
Unexpectedly perfect. This period of U2 runs in my blood and to hear the guys talking about it so honestly..it sent shivers down my spine. The moment when Bono confirms that Bridge 2 became "one"... blew me away.
yardie
I never realised...
Growing up with U2 I never realised they were so down themselves during that period post Joshua Tree and the whole Rattle n Hum phase,great to hear Bono say they were having fun,but it never looked it as all the shots were of these glum,angry looking men.I would have thought then,that they were this band who had it all.I was in my late teens,20/21 ish,and totally admired them as a band.It was great to see some old footage I recall,some i'd never seen,and some of the reflective and down to earth comments from all four members of the band about what they were going through at this time. We are all human I guess after all and go through phases in our lives where we need to find ourselves again or re-group. Great film.
pedrovilhena
Great documentary.
I saw the documentary. I liked it.
howl
Sausages
Normally albums are like sausages, you don't wanna see how they're made. But this was different, due to the break from the past that happened socially, culturally and politically at the time. It was very interesting to see how U2 experienced the tensions of moving into a new culture, dance orientated beats and the process of making an Album that has turned out to be so well considered, and such an important Album for what turned out to be a new world. And it was jammed out around the corner from where I used to live in Dalkey!!
juetu
Thank you
It was great watching this for the first time in the comfort of my own home! Well done U2, Davis and BBC1 :0)
orange12
A Rare Glimpse
You very rarely get to see how albums are made - I mean, the actual creative process. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you may get to hear b-sides or out-takes that show how songs have evolved. Even more impressive that U2 should open up such a process to filming, especially when it was such a time of transition - and tension. I was fascinated by the way 'One' came into being and the way it set the tone for the album and gave the band hope that they could move forward together. From The Sky Down has so may funny and spine-tingling moments (loved the cartoons, too). It is a rare film of beauty and Daniel Gugenheim deserves immense credit for the way he has pulled this together.
kjason
Hilarious!
Nothwithstanding the musical insights, laugh-out loud funny in places - I may never think about British Airways the same way... It was also nice to know that - even in my thirties - my taste in music can still drive my parents from the room... :-)
jay74
Raw Emotions
When four creative minds come together anything is possible, but when those four minds belong to U2 then anything can happen, and usually will. From the sky down was an honest exposure of emotion, thought, heary and soul, how close they actually came to calling it a day and the fear of life outside of U2. When they were listening to the demo of "Sick Puppy", the look on Bono's face when the second bridge was played said it all, even now they realise the importance of "One". I don't think I will ever hear "One" in quite the same way again, and the re=workings of the original songs sound fantastic.
8
Thank you stevesolo
That is really what I am hoping it will be like. You're quite the poet!
father ted
edge and bono (bongo brothers)
great documentry​ on what made these guy's tick after all the sucess they had up to the late 80's. you think it's a god given talent that u2 have, which it is !but they worked hard to change and not to fade away ( like most of the other 80's band's did)and they got back to the root's of what made them by experiment​ing and finding the new sound(bong​o brother's)​. im now watching glasto and ive just played along with 'one' on my acoustic guitar. god love them there the reason i sing and play guitar, all be it badly.....​......
stevesolo
Behind the sunglasses!
It was a real look into what is behind the sunglasses of the band, the hills they've had to climb, the leaps of faith, the conjuring and sculpting, not just of the music but of themselves. I was aware at the time they were going through a process of 'finding themselves' but imagine trying to find yourselves and finding one. I'm really set straight here, no stranger to music or bands, no stranger to the creative process, no stranger to U2 but in a sense I'm humbled by this, surprised and uplifted by what you can find if you dig deep. In short, I feel a tad enlightened!
joolsfw
Wow!
I loved it...revelatory....just perfect.
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