Documentaries
‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’
Mention Little Richard and most people will come back with the inimitable made-up musical intro to his 1955 hit, “Tutti Frutti”: “A-wop-bop-a-loobop, a-lop-bam-boom!” But that creatively vocalized drum pattern aside, the massive influence of Little Richard (born Richard Penniman) cannot be overstated. It’s there in the gyrations of Elvis Presley and the “wooo” of Paul Mccartney, just to name two.
Finally, the innovator is given his due in “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” which not only celebrates the singer’s irrepressible talent but also dives deep into his multifaceted persona. The Sundance Film Festival documentary explores through “interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars ... 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,” a news release says.
Director: Lisa Cortés
● When and where to watch: In theaters in April; on CNN and streaming at a later date
‘Willie Nelson and Family’
Well, it’s about time. Willie Nelson is beyond overdue for a documentary, and now he’s got a full-on docuseries in “Willie Nelson and Family,” which promises to be an intimate portrait of the 70-year career of the Red Headed Stranger. The hits of the stylistically unique singer and songwriter – from “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” to “Always on My Mind” – are as indelible as his braided hair and battered nylonstring guitar.
The doc is directed by Thom Zimny and Oren Moverman, the former famous for his movie collaborations with Bruce Springsteen. Not that it takes much persuasion to get stars to sit for interviews when you’re talking about an American cowboy legend who, as the movie describes, “transcended his humble beginnings in small-town Abbott, Texas,” and “remains beloved in blue states, red states and let’s not forget – altered states.”
Directors: Thom Zimny and Oren
Moverman
● When and where to watch: Expected in 2023
Indigo Girls’ ‘It’s Only Life After All’
Fans of the Indigo Girls now have their documentary. In “It’s Only Life After All,” director Alexandria Bombach asks Amy Ray and Emily Saliers frank questions about what it was like to be proudly out in their ’90s heyday.
Known for upbeat, confessional guitar-focused songs such as “Closer to Fine” and “Galileo,” the duo met in elementary school and rode the growing singer-songwriter wave and intersected with a women’s movement that sometimes found the duo becoming a parody of themselves. But the doc shows us the women were more than aware of that irony while also remaining faithful to their art and fans.
Director: Alexandria Bombach
● When and where to see: Expected in 2023
‘Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard’
Wu-tang Clan was a pioneering rap group whose work influenced many peers and continues to resonate today. There already have been a few documentaries
chronicling their musical journey, including Alex Tse’s Hulu series “Wu-tang: An American Saga.”
But now there’s one in the works for 2023 on one of the group’s most integral figures, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, born Russell Jones, who died in 2004. The A&E Networks special “Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard” is the first-ever film authorized by
the late rapper’s estate. ODB’S wife, Icelene Jones allowed filmmakers Sam and Jason Pollard to use never-been-seen footage.
Directors: Sam Pollard and son Jason Pollard
● When and where to watch: This year on A&E Networks