Today, yours truly had the honor of being a part of a community of filmmakers and journalist who helped HuffPost Live host Nancy Redd interview Academy Award-nominated director Liz Garbus about her upcoming documentary on legendary singer-songwriter and activist Nina Simone entitled “What Happened, Nina Simone?” This feature-length look at Simone’s private as well as professional life debuts on Netflix on June 26 and I, for one, can’t wait to see it. Check out the HuffPost Live interview below for more insight and information:
[wpvideo 2CbGRSAv]
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Posts tagged as “Liz Garbus”
Netflix and RadicalMedia paired up to produce and release the documentary, “What Happened, Miss Simone?,” directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus (“The Farm: Angola,” “USA” and “Bobby Fischer Against the World”), which will premiere exclusively in all territories where Netflix is available, on June 26.
Made in cooperation with the Estate of Nina Simone, and described as an “epic” documentary, director Liz Garbus’ film interweaves never-before-heard recordings and rare archival footage together, with Nina’’s most memorable songs, incorporating never-before-heard audio tapes, recorded over the course of 3 decades, of Nina, telling her life story to various interviewers and would-be biographers. Rare concert footage and archival interviews, along with diaries, letters, interviews with Nina’’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, and other exclusive materials, make this the most authentic, personal, and unflinching telling of the extraordinary life of one of the 20th Century’s greatest recording artists.
Emmy–award nominated cinematographer Igor Martinovic (“House of Cards,” “Man on Wire”) shot the film, and Joshua L. Pearson (“Made in America,” “Under African Skies”) edited. Sidney Beaumont (“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”), Jon Kamen (“The Fog of War”), Lisa Nishimura (“The Square,” “Virunga”), Adam Del Deo (“The Square”) and Lisa Simone Kelly serve as executive producers on the film.
The documentary made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Netflix has released a first full trailer for the upcoming film, which is embedded below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moOQXZxriKY&w=560&h=315]
article by Tambay A. Obenson via blogs.indiewire.com
Netflix is dipping its toe into original programming again with a timely documentary on provocative musical genius and social activist Nina Simone, aka the “High Priestess of Soul.” What Happened, Miss Simone? will tell the singer’s story in her own voice using over a hundred hours of previously unheard interviews. Produced in cooperation with Simone’s estate, it will also feature rare concert videos, diaries, letters and other private materials. It was directed by Oscar-nominated director Liz Garbus and will debut next year — possibly around the same time as an unauthorized Simone biopic starring Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Zoe Saldana.
Simone was a classically-trained musician who switched to soul, jazz and blues after being denied a prestigious scholarship, reportedly because she was black. During the 1960s, her music and lyrics became infused with a strong civil rights message and she spoke at demonstrations like the “Selma to Montgomery” marches, which eventually led to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Describing her musical career, Garbus said that “for each of her millions of fans, Nina feels like a treasured secret.” Simone was also a controversial figure who advocated for violent revolution on behalf of African Americans, and Netflix said the film would take an “unflinching” look at her life.
The upcoming biopic joins other well-received titles from Netflix like the 3D-printing documentary Print the Legend and Academy Award-nominated The Square. What Happened, Miss Simone will arrive in all Netflix countries sometime next year.
Check out video of arguably her most famous protest song, “Mississippi Goddamn” below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ25-U3jNWM&w=420&h=315]
article by Steve Dent via engadget.com