World Gold Council’s Elton John doc proves a hit on YouTube

Shout out to Stern & Wild filmmaker Toby Trackman whose wonderfully intimate documentary for the World Gold Council featuring Sir Elton John has amassed over 1.6 million views on YouTube alone since premiering one week ago.

TOUCHED BY GOLD explores the precious metal’s enduring influence on culture, creativity and society, as told through the voice and life stories of the iconic singer. It features a unique behind-the-scenes look at Elton John’s costume collection and other personal memorabilia, as he discusses the ways gold has inspired his art, his music and his sense of individuality. The film goes beyond fashion and performance, looking too at gold’s vital but lesser-known role in modern medicine and science. It reveals, for example, how gold is more than symbolic in the singer’s life and is a key component in pacemakers; technology he came to rely on after being fitted with one in 1999.

The film is directed by Toby who spent months with Elton John to craft this heartfelt journey through his extraordinary archive. It follows his recent projects, the music docuseries CAMDEN (Disney+/Lightbox) and feature documentary THE LAST MUSICIAN OF AUSCHWITZ (BBC Two/Two Rivers/Access). Stern & Wild’s Chris Wilson who recently worked with Toby on CAMDEN, is Editor.

The film launched on Monday 15 September. It is available to view on YouTube and the World Gold Council website.