Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn on ‘Unshatter’: ‘It’s a Film About Healing’

The documentary Linkin Park: Unshatter hits theaters for a limited release on Sept. 30.

Linkin Park’s reformation and comeback — with a hit album (2024’s From Zero), three No. 1 Mainstream Rock chart singles and two Grammy Award nominations — is one of rock’s top stories of the decade so far.

O documentário Linkin Park: Unshatter, dirigido pelo membro do grupo Joe Hahn, chega aos cinemas em lançamento limitado em 30 de setembro, cinco dias depois do lançamento do álbum de concertos Unshatter (Live in Sao Paulo).

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That Brazilian concert, held on the day of From Zero’s release (Nov. 15, 2024), is a framing device for the film, which chronicles Linkin Park’s decision to get back together six years after vocalist Chester Bennington’s suicide put the brakes on a career that, since 2000, saw sales of more than 100 million records worldwide, five No.

That said, Hahn considers the film’s Sao Paulo performances (Linkin Park played two shows, also on Nov. 16, before nearly 97,000 fans each at the Allianz Parque stadium) to be incendiary highlights.

Like his bandmates, Hahn had no idea when, or if, Linkin Park would come out of the indefinite hiatus it called after Bennington’s death on July 20, 2017 — the birthday of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, a friend and mentor who committed suicide two months prior — at the age of 41.

In addition to the concert footage — from Sao Paulo and from the Sept. 11, 2024 Los Angeles concert where Linkin Park revealed its plans as well as new vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain — Unshatter features loads of fly-on-the-wall footage, including initial discussions between Hahn, frontman Mike Shinoda and bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell about resurrecting the band.

Videographer Mark Fiore, a childhood friend of Farrell’s, has been working with the band (previously known as Xero and Hybrid Theory) since its early days; Hahn refers to Fiore as “almost a seventh member” and says that at this point “we’re so used to it we don’t really know that cameras are rolling.

E quando faço turnê, faço questão de levar uma câmera comigo e capturar o máximo que puder… Às vezes pode ser irritante, mas então, dois anos depois, 10 anos depois, 30 anos depois, eu fico pensando: 'Oh, que maravilha, fico tão feliz por ter tirado essa foto.

The hour-and-50-minute film — subtitled The Hardest Part of Ending Is Starting Again — takes viewers through the reformation process, including the arrivals of Armstrong and Brittain and the writing and recording of From Zero.

In one memorable scene, Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus visits and professes “goosebumps” listening to the new tracks in progress.

Unshatter references the band’s history, including some early rehearsal footage with Bennington during the end credits, but maintains a focus on recent events. It treads lightly on drummer Rob Bourdon’s decision not to return but goes in-depth with guitarist Brad Delson about his initial reservations, ultimately contributing to From Zero but opting not to tour with Linkin Park.

Uma coisa que você não verá no filme, no entanto, é um momento de desconexão dramática à la saída temporária de James Hetfield da Metallica em “Some Kind of Monster”, de 2004 — porque nada parecido aconteceu, segundo Hahn.

It’s a story that will continue, Hahn says. As Unshatter rolls out (tickets and theater information can be found via linkinpark.com) the group is planning what’s next — including, Hahn says, some more music videos.

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