At the SXSW London premiere of Stans, Steven Leckart breaks down how “Stans” flips the script on traditional music documentaries by starting with the fans, just like the song that inspired it.
“It’s about fandom and fame”, Leckart said to The Upcoming channel, summarising the movie idea in two words. He did not call himself a lifelong Stan, but he grew up on hip hop and MTV and vividly remembers Eminem’s rise. The connection came through producer Antoine Fuqua, who had a relationship with Eminem’s team. “Antoine knew I was a huge fan of the genre and thought I’d be right for it. He made the introductions, and here we are”.
Rather than starting with the artist, Stans begins with the fans. That was intentional. “It really wasn’t that complicated”, Leckart explained. “The song ‘Stan’, which inspired the film, is told from the perspective of a fan. So we thought, why not make a movie that reflects that structure?”
The idea was to make a story about obsession, so the team wanted to show what draws people so deeply to an artist. In Eminem’s case, that meant showing his roots. “He’s so authentic, and if you’re going to talk about the connection people feel, you need to go back to where it all started”.
The film’s broader message, Leckart says, is that the art we consume can actually change our lives for the better. “Stans” leans into that idea. “Even people who aren’t fans of Eminem can take something from this movie. That’s what excites me most”, says the director.
