Featured Image Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Topics: Documentaries, Mental Health, Music, Netflix
Kya Buller
Topics: Documentaries, Mental Health, Music, Netflix
Following the release of documentary Avicii: I'm Tim today (31 December), reactions have begun to flood in, with fans noting their 'heartbreak' over the troubled DJ's final days.
Swedish DJ and producer Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, tragically lost his life as a result of suicide in 2018 aged just 28 years old.
Bergling was a Grammy-award nominated artist and the mastermind behind hits such as 'Wake Me Up' and 'Hey Brother'.
The loss of Bergling followed the artist retiring from touring in 2016, a move he chose to take after mounting stress and mental health issues.
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Avicii: I'm Tim is the much anticipated documentary, directed by Henrik Burman, that was finally released onto Netflix today.
The production initially premiered at Tribeca Film Festival to critical acclaim, and was said to be 'handled with passion'.
Upon release, fans learned just how true this is - and finding themselves incredibly emotional over the details of Bergling's final days.
One person wrote on X: "avicii’s documentary dropped on Netflix today and I have never felt so much sadness since the posthumous album and since the news in 2018."
Another said: "If you like music in any way, but more so enjoyed the music Tim AKA Avicii made go and watch the documentary I’m Tim on Netflix. It’s brilliant."
A third added: "The Avicii documentary on Netflix is worth the watch..so unbelievably sad."
At the time of his death, his family provided a statement, calling him a 'seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions'.
"An over-achieving perfectionist who travelled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress.
"When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and be able to do what he loved most – music.
"He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could now not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace."
Avicii: I'm Tim features 'never-before-seen tour footage and behind-the-scenes glimpses of his creative process'.
Over the course of six years, Bergling played over 800 shows and the film features footage of him saying he was 'killing himself' with how much he was working.
He said: "I realised how stiff I was when I wasn't drinking so I found the magical cure of having a couple of drinks before going on [stage] to loosen you up.
"I just took everything on that I could. I didn't realise you could do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday but once that opened up you could tour the whole year."
The film also captures how Bergling spent his last days before his death.
His friend and nightclub managing partner, Jesse Waits, shared to filmmakers: "I realised he was taking painkillers.
"I grew up with family that did drugs and I saw when people do opiates their eyes change. The pin, the little black parts of their eyes.
"His eyes were wide open like a zombie, he was not there. At the dinner, his demeanour changed and his eyes dilated.
"That changed everything, those pills change how you act and how you feel. You wake up feeling like s*** and have to have another one to feel good.
"For him it was to suppress his anxiety but it just created more anxiety."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.