7 of the best...
MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES
1 SUPERSONIC (2016)
COMPELLING documentary about the rise of Manchester band Oasis with frank interviews with brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. Liam has described the documentary as “biblical” and NME music magazine voted it the film of the year. The title comes from the band’s first single.
2 AMY (2015)
DIRECTOR Asif Kapadia highlights the life of Amy Winehouse, left, using archive footage and interviews with her parents Mitch and Janis and her friends. Her family were unhappy though at how Amy’s last years were portrayed in the documentary. When Amy was nominated for an Oscar, taxi driver Mitch tweeted: “Still hate the film though”.
3 COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK (2015)
AUTHORISED documentary about Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who tragically committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 27. He left behind a note in red ink to his wife Courtney Love and his daughter. Documentary maker director Brett Morgen has said: “Truth is not singular. We have different ways of seeing things. Truth exists in fiction and truth exists in non-fiction.”
4 SHINE A LIGHT (2008)
GOODFELLAS and Shutter Island film director Martin Scorsese looks back on the long career of the Rolling Stones alongside coverage of their A Bigger Bang Tour. Two concerts at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan were filmed for the documentary and Sin City actor Benicio Del Toro can be seen in the crowd at one point. Shine A Light later opened the Berlin Film Festival.
5 NO DIRECTION HOME (2005)
MARTIN SCORSESE also directed this documentary about singersongwriter Bob Dylan’s career in the 1960s and his journey from folk singer to rock star. Dylan is heard in the documentary telling his band to “play it f***ing loud”. The documentary includes hits like Blowing In The Wind, Like A Rolling Stone and Mr Tambourine Man.
6 IN BED WITH MADONNA (1991)
MADONNA’S infamous Blonde Ambition tour – featuring the conical bra from French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier – is at the heart of this documentary. It mixes on-stage concert coverage in colour alongside backstage in black and white footage of Madonna, left, and her singers and dancers.
7 IMAGINE: JOHN LENNON (1988)
A CELEBRATION of the life and work of the former Beatle. The documentary features contributions from Yoko Ono, David Bowie, Beatles producer George Martin and pop artist Andy Warhol as well as archive footage of Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The first version of the movie was 24 hours long, but the final cut ran for 100 minutes.