We Are Your Friends: What the film got right about the EDM world (VIDEO)

I’ll be honest: As an EDM fan, I had my reservations about the EDM film We Are Your Friends, starring Zac Efron. I asked myself: “Do I really want to watch a movie about a male DJ struggling to make it with just ‘a laptop, some talent and one track’?”

Sitting nervously in my chair, I wondered if the film would represent DJs poorly. I wondered how many DJ cameos I’d see (and yes, you do see a few), and I wondered: Would any female DJs be present?

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And I was pleasantly surprised to see director Max Joseph make the conscious decision to include two female DJs — especially now, as we strive for more gender equality in the music industry and on music festival lineups. And it was this decision of his that made me really appreciate this film.

“It just so happens that, because of the movie and [Efron’s] character, we needed a kind of a male, older mentor figure for them,” Joseph said, “but it was very important to represent female DJs in the movie.”

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“There are a lot of awesome female DJs that are on the rise right now,” he continues, listing off Anna Lunoe, Nina Las Vegas and Nina Kraviz. “I think that [music festival lineups] have been predominately male, up until this point,” he says, “and I’m not exactly sure why, but it’s definitely in the midst of changing.”

Why is this important? Because if the film wasn’t going to be about a female DJ trying to make it in a predominately male genre, then we should at least have evidence that they exist. Because they do, and they’re worth the listen.

And not only did Joseph impress with his EDM knowledge, but Ratajkowski chimed in regarding her character Sophie and how she breaks sexist stereotypes in the film. Be sure to watch the full interview above to hear what she had to say.

We Are Your Friends opens today in theaters nationwide. It’s truly a must-watch for all millennials — aspiring DJ or not.

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Who are some of your favorite female DJs? Will you be watching We Are Your Friends this weekend? Let us know in the comments below!