After premiering at Sundance film festival in January, to mixed views, Nina Simone documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? is headed for the small screen. The film, directed by Liz Garbus, is due to hit film and TV streaming site Netflix on 26 June and now has a first trailer.
The film combines footage of Simone’s performances and audio recordings of her songs with interviews from a variety of industry talking heads – and, importantly for fans wanting an insider’s perspective, Simone’s daughter Lisa Simone Kelly is among them.
“People think that when she went out onstage, she became Nina Simone,” Simone Kelly says, in a clip from the film. “My mother was Nina Simone 24/7. And that’s where it became a problem. Everything fell apart.”
As well as exploring Simone’s dynamism as a performer, the documentary is set to shed light on her mental health issues and struggle with bipolar disorder. Her passion for politics and association with the African-American civil rights movement are also highlighted in the film.
Oscar winner Garbus has previously directed biographical documentaries about chess champion Bobby Fischer and Marilyn Monroe.
Watch the trailer for What Happened, Miss Simone? below.
