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Movie poster: Billie (2020)
🎬 Movie
2020 · 96 min Documentary Music
6.8 / 10 · TMDB

‘Lady Day’ was one of the greatest jazz vocalists the world ever heard. In 1971, journalist Linda Lipnack Kuehl set out to write the definitive biography of Billie Holiday. Before her mysterious death in 1978, Lipnack Kuehl had taped over 200 hours of interviews. The tapes have never been heard. Now they form the basis of an atmospheric, multi-layered documentary that captures the many complex facets of a proud black woman, violent drug addict, loyal friend, vindictive lover and unforgettable singer of ‘God Bless The Child’, ‘Saddest Tale’ and the haunting ‘Strange Fruit’.

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📋 Film Details

Year 2020
Country United Kingdom, United States of America, Belgium
Genre Documentary, Music
Director James Erskine
Runtime 96 min.
Rating TMDB: 6.8/10 (23 votes)

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🎬 MovieFinder's Take

The film constructs a portrait not through narration, but through the raw, previously unheard testimonies of those who orbited her world. It presents Holiday in all her devastating complexity, refusing to simplify her into myth or tragedy.

What lingers after the final frame is not just the legendary voice, but the haunting echo of a life lived at an impossible intensity. The documentary becomes a poignant reflection on artistry, survival, and the shadows cast by fame. — MovieFinder Editorial

Director: James Erskine

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In a quiet room with minimal distractions, to fully absorb the interviews and the power of the music.

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