Janis: Little Girl Blue, the new Janis Joplin documentary helmed by Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg, has started its limited theatrical run, which will be followed by airings on PBS’ American Masters series.
Berg worked with the support of Joplin’s family on the film, which offers previously unseen glimpses of the singer’s personal life. Speaking with Billboard, Berg underlined her reasons for taking on the project while praising Joplin’s tremendous cultural impact.
“She put women in rock on the map. She literally was the first female rock star and she did it in such a strong way and we’re still reaping the benefits of that today,” Berg argued. “And I think her music is just as relevant today as it was in 1968-69.”
Janis: Little Girl Blue had its theatrical premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year, and begins its official roll-out Friday in New York before spreading to Los Angeles on Dec. 4. A premiere airdate for its American Masters broadcast has yet to be announced, but according to the film’s official site, fans can expect to see it in “early 2016.”
“Joplin’s own words tell much of the film’s story, through a series of letters she wrote to her parents over the years, many of them made public here for the first time (and read by Southern-born indie rock star Cat Power),” reads part of the official synopsis. “This correspondence is only one element of the stunning, previously unseen material Berg discovered during the seven years she has spent working on Janis: Little Girl Blue. New audio and video of Joplin in concert and in the studio … and even footage from her emotional return to Port Arthur for her 10th high school reunion, add depth and texture to this remarkable story.”
