Oasis reunion documentary takes the spotlight at Venice Film Festival

Noel and Liam Gallagher brought their famous tension to the Venice Film Festival, even if they did not bring it to a news conference. After waving to photographers on the Lido docks, the Oasis brothers skipped the press event surrounding the world premiere of “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger.”

The documentary combines concert footage with an examination of the brothers’ contentious relationship. Their feud helped bring Oasis to an unusually theatrical end in 2009, after a backstage altercation shortly before the band was due to perform in Paris. Noel once described Liam as “the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.” Liam later said his brother had broken up the band to advance his own career.

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the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.

Oasis formed in working-class Manchester in 1991 and became one of Britain’s biggest acts of the 1990s. Its debut album, “Definitely Maybe,” reached No. 1 in 1994, while “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” became one of the best-selling albums in the United Kingdom. The film revisits the phenomenon behind songs such as “Wonderwall” and “Live Forever,” most of which Noel wrote, while also focusing on the personalities behind them.

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did me out, mate ... and I won’t forget that. He split the band up and it meant the world to me. Just to further his career.

Filmmakers Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace interviewed the brothers separately before rehearsals began and together during the tour. The documentary includes previously unseen rehearsal footage, including moments of tension when Liam enters, and what was described as the pair’s first joint interview in 25 years. Steven Knight, credited as the writer, said he and Noel wanted to explore why the music continued to resonate with fans who discovered Oasis in the 1990s and with a younger generation.

The reunion tour began in Cardiff, Wales, in 2025 after a 16-year hiatus. More than 60,000 people attended the opening show, which had been surrounded by uncertainty because of the band’s history. Former members Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, Gem Archer and Andy Bell joined drummer Joey Waronker. The filmmakers said they set out to capture both the brothers’ reconciliation and the way Oasis’s songs continued to live on while the band was inactive.

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We set out to make a film about the reconciliation of two brothers, infamous for their volatile relationship, but we also wanted to make a film about the power of music and the way Oasis’ songs have continued to have a life of their own, as the band lay dormant for 15 years.