I Get Knocked Down

A quarter of a century ago, self-proclaimed British anarcho-punk band Chumbawumba topped international charts with a pop anthem about drinking and resilience. After developing a downright life of its own, the song Tubthumping is still around, but what about the musicians behind it? Haunted by “the ghost of Chumbawamba past”, I Get Knocked Down follows founding member Dunstan Bruce as he checks in with former colleagues, re-evaluates the political motivations behind the group’s formation and eventually tries to find a place for himself as an ageing activist who is still “mad as hell” but no longer given the attention reserved for the famous.

The documentary was crowdfunded via Kickstarter campaigns and developed over several years, marking in particular the Trump era in the United States, as it draws parallels with English riots in the 1980s and 90s, out of which the fateful song was born. The editing is spirited and humorous. 

Co-directed by Sophie Robinson and Dunstan Bruce himself, it takes a creative approach, not only in depicting physical manifestations of self-doubt that accompany the protagonist, but also in giving him the rope to navel-gaze unabashedly in the first place. 

Critical voices from the outside are also allowed space. Bruce is astoundingly honest about the “one-hit wonder” label looming over his head, about the band’s fears of selling their soul by becoming a mainstream success, their efforts to counteract this and using their platform for political messages. One need not be familiar with Chumbawamba to be able to relate to the struggles and trepidations presented in this feature; in fact a younger generation will perhaps be even more embracing of the musicians’ antics, which were considered contentious in their time but in retrospect feel ahead of the curve.

Selina Sondermann

I Get Knocked Down is released digitally on demand on 3^rd February 2023.

Watch the trailer for I Get Knocked Down here: