"Patti Smith: Dream of Life" Presents Evocative Portrait of the Legendary Rocker and Artist
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at 9 p.m. in Special Presentation on PBS' POV
Smith was both participant and witness to a seminal scene in American culture; film portrays her friendships and work with Robert Mapplethorpe, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Sam Shepard and Bob Dylan
Shot over 11 years by acclaimed fashion photographer Steven Sebring, "Patti Smith: Dream of Life" is a remarkable plunge into the life, art, memories and philosophical reflections of the legendary rocker, poet and artist.
Sometimes dubbed the "godmother of punk" - a designation justified by clips of her early rage-fueled performances - Patti Smith was much more than that when she broke through with her 1975 debut album, Horses.
A poet and visual artist as well as a rocker, she befriended and collaborated with some of the brightest lights of the American counterculture, an often testosterone-driven scene to which she brought a swagger and fierceness all her own.
Watch video - Patti Smith: Dream of Life. Documentary Film. Trailer. POV on PBS:
In "Patti Smith: Dream of Life," the artist's memories of these times, and of a period of domestic happiness and the tragedies that brought her back to the stage, attain an intense, hypnotic lyricism, much like that of her own songs.
The two-hour film has its American broadcast premiere in a POV (Point of View) special presentation on Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at 9 p.m. on PBS, concluding POV's 22nd season. (Check local listings.) American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, POV is the recipient of a Special News and Documentary Emmy for Excellence in Television Documentary Filmmaking.
"Created over a heroic 11 years ... a lovely ... first feature. ... Mr. Sebring creates a structure for the film in which past and present seem to flow effortlessly and ceaselessly into each other." - Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
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Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Film Credits:
Director: Steven Sebring
Co-producers: Steven Sebring, Margaret Smilow, Scott Vogel
Cinematographers: Phillip Hunt, Steven Sebring
Editors: Angelo Corrao, Lin Polito
Executive Producers: Steven Sebring, Margaret Smilow
Sound Design: Margaret Crimmins, Greg Smith,
Dog Bark Sound. Running Time: 116:46
Awards and Festivals:
2008: Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival - Excellence in Cinematography Award; Full Frame Documentary Film Festival; Philadelphia Film Festival; Seattle Film Festival; Washington, D.C. Film Festival; Provincetown Film Festival; Milan International Film Festival; Berlin International Film Festival; Jerusalem Film Festival. For a complete list visit www.dreamoflifethemovie.com
Photo Credits: Steven Sebring
For more information, go to:
Dream of Life - the movie Official Website
PBS - POV
Patti Smith on POV
Patti Smith Official Website