Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf

This documentary explores the history of the rock band Steppenwolf, focusing on their position between mainstream success and the psychedelic underground. It examines how the group influenced the music scene with a harder sound that challenged the hippie era and the Summer of Love. The film highlights their contribution to music history through the song Born to Be Wild and their early use of the term heavy metal in lyrics.

Directed and written by Oliver Schwehm, this production was the first of two films listed in his career, followed by Boney M: Disco. Macht. Legende. in 2026. A joint production between Germany and Canada by Rezolution Pictures and Lunabeach TV und Media, the film features a variety of participants. The cast includes band members John Kay, Nick St. Nicholas, and Michael Monarch, along with appearances by Alice Cooper and Klaus Meine. Helge Schneider provides the narration. The movie has a runtime of 97 minutes.