We Speak Movies
Magnolia Pictures will release LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING for special one-night-only theatrical screenings on April 11, followed by additional theaters and a digital release on April 21st.
Get tickets now at littlericharddocumentary.com
Produced by Robert Friedman, Lisa Cortés, Liz Yale Marsh and Caryn Capotosto
Executive Produced by Dee Rees, Mike Powers, Anita May Rosentstein, Gus Wenner, Jason Fine, Amy Entelis, Courtney Sexton
Featuring Mick Jagger, Billy Porter, John Waters, Tom Jones, and more
Produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment for CNN Films and HBO Max, in association with Rolling Stone Films, director Lisa Cortés’ Sundance opening night documentary LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself. Throughout his life, Richard careened like a shiny cracked pinball between God, sex and rock n’ roll. The world tried to put him in a box, but Richard was an omni being who contained multitudes – he was unabashedly everything. Directed by Lisa Cortés, LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING is produced by Robert Friedman, Cortés, Liz Yale Marsh and Caryn Capotosto and Executive Produced by Dee Rees.
Run Time: 98 minutes
#LittleRichard
We Speak Filmmakers
Celebrating Female Filmmakers On International Women’s Day With SheDoesFilmz
Official film history often forgets about female directors, says Julie Des, the founder of SheDoesFilmz, a subscription service featuring solely female-directed films. She’s hoping to remedy that, and during the week of 4-11 March, new subscribers will get a 50% discount on annual membership, to mark International Women’s Day. Julie says: “For the price of two coffees a month, you can receive a regular, curated collection of female films selected by the best global festivals.”
The online platform, which features award-winning films from around the world, was set up in 2018 to highlight brilliant women in film. Julie says:
“SheDoesFilmz aims to build a community of film lovers who will help progress the search for past and current talent and bring these talented works to the world.”
According to a study in Slate magazine, women-directed films suffer from 67% lower distribution than other movies. Julie said: “This means women are making all these movies that are amazing and get to festivals, but then don’t get distributed. Part of our analysis is that some institutions go for easy picks, wanting to avoid topics that are too bold or female-focused. We are more interested in those – the movies that are a bit shocking, different.
“Many of our movies are about topics which you wouldn’t expect or you don’t usually see. As a society we have to actively work towards representation in all fields, but particularly in the arts and film. It’s work we’re proud to be leading!”
SheDoesFilmz shows a rotating collection of festival films directed by women, which can be hard to see elsewhere. Past gems include Nelly Kaplan’s iconic ‘nouvelle vague’ films. SheDoesFilmz selects movies from across all genres and Julie says she’s inspired by the “pure cinephile joy” of watching wonderful films:
“What a shame to ever have missed them! This is the real passion behind the platform – discovering and sharing incredible films.”
When asked to recommend a couple of films that are currently on the site, Julie mentions the Sundance Film Festival-winning documentary ‘Half The Picture’, which is, appropriately enough, about the gender gap in Hollywood. The movie features interviews with successful female directors, including Ava DuVernay, Lena Dunham, Jill Soloway, Rosanna Arquette and Gina Prince-Bythewood, asking them about their career paths, challenges and aims for the future.
Another must-watch is ‘Microhabitat’, by South Korean director Jeon Go-woon. Julie says: “It’s a super-fun, quirky film about a thirty-something woman in Seoul who’s in love with whisky and cigarettes! It was a huge festival favourite, winning over 10 awards.” And Julie says that she’s looking forward to adding to new festival acclaimed Ecuadorian film about a prostitute seeking revenge, ‘La Mala Noche’ and Chinese festival favourite ‘Girls Always Happy’ about the symbiotic relationship between a mother and her daughter in Beijing.
To find out more about SheDoesFilmz and subscribe, visit: www.shedoesfilmz.com
Featured photo credit: AvaDuVernay, ‘Half The Picture’ documentary. Photo by Soraya Selene
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