Film documents recording of Franklin's 1972 gospel album, but she fought to keep it from being seen
A documentary about Aretha Franklin that was shot over 45 years ago but never released will finally make it to the screen.
Amazing Grace, which captured the live recording of Franklin's legendary 1972 gospel album of that name, will premiere at DOC NYC next Monday, November 12, the festival announced today. “Amazing Grace has been a lost treasure of documentary filmmaking for over four decades," Thom Powers, DOC NYC artistic director, noted in a statement. "I can’t think of a bigger honor for a festival than to premiere this film.” The documentary, originally shot by Sydney Pollack but not completed until after the director's death in 2008, was to have played three years ago at the Toronto International Film Festival. But the singer successfully filed suit to block that, arguing producers who finished the film needed her permission to release it. Franklin's death in August from pancreatic cancer paved the way for it to see the light of day. The movie's release comes with the blessing of her estate. "Amazing Grace is the heart and soul of Aretha Franklin,” said Franklin's niece, Sabrina Owens, executor of the Aretha Franklin Estate. “This film is authentic and is my aunt at her core. She was a daughter of the church, she loved gospel music, and she always incorporated some form of sacred music in her concerts.” Film by Cameron Yates opens in New York November 9, LA November 16 Most pre-teens are told not to play with knives, but for Flynn McGarry it's worked out all right. From a tender age he has been slicing, dicing, mincing, chopping and otherwise creating dishes worthy of a James Beard Award winner. Now at age 19 (he turns 20 later this month) the new documentary Chef Flynn charts his progress to becoming a renowned culinary master -- with support from his mother, which mostly took the form of letting him do his thing. His precocious skills in the kitchen brought him early fame, but with that has come the inevitable backlash. In this newly-released clip from Cameron Yates' film, McGarry offers insights into how he responds to the haters. Chef Flynn opens in New York Friday, November 9 and in LA a week later, with a nationwide release to follow. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last January, an event we covered. For our report from Park City, click on any of the photos below. Related: |
AuthorMatthew Carey is a documentary filmmaker and journalist. His work has appeared on Deadline.com, CNN, CNN.com, TheWrap.com, NBCNews.com and in Documentary magazine. |