BILLIE HOLIDAY est l’une des plus grandes voix de tous les temps. Elle fut la première icône de la protestation contre le racisme ce qui lui a valu de puissants ennemis.

A la fin des années 1960, la journaliste Linda Lipnack Kuehl commence une biographie officielle de l’artiste. Elle recueille 200 heures de témoignages incroyables : Charles Mingus Tony Bennett, Sylvia Syms, Count Basie, ses amants, ses avocats, ses proxénètes et même les agents du FBI qui l’ont arrêtée….Mais le livre de Linda n’a jamais été terminé et les bandes sont restés inédites … jusqu’à présent.

BILLIE est l’histoire de la chanteuse qui a changé le visage de la musique américaine et de la journaliste qui est morte en essayant de raconter l’histoire de Lady telle qu’elle était.

Un film de James ESKINE

avec Billie Holiday, Linda Lipnack Kuehl, Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Jimmy Fletcher, Bobby Tucker, Jimmy Rowles, Sylvia Syms

Royaume-Uni – 2020 – Documentaire – 1h38 – VOST – 2,35 – 5.1 – Visa Nº 153.700



Thèmes : Musique, ségrégation, racisme…

Réalisateur : James Eskine

Distribution (France) :
L’Atelier Distribution
http://latelierdistribution.fr/billie/

1ère sortie France : le 30 septembre 2020
Nouvelle sortie (après pandémie) le 19 mai 2021

Le film est disponible sur Globecast et Cinégo.

Billie Holiday had one of the greatest voices of all time. She was a woman of breath-taking talent and global popularity while also stirring controversy. She started a notable rebellion singing « Strange Fruit » which exposed the realities of Black life in America and earned her powerful enemies. Then in the late 1960’s journalist Linda Lipnack Kuehl set out to write the definitive biography of Billie. Over the next decade, she tracked down and tape-recorded interviews with the extraordinary characters that populated the iconic singer’s short, tumultuous life. These incredibly intimate testimonies are not only told by some of the musical greats, but Billie Holiday herself is revealed through the eyes of her cousin, her school friends, lovers, lawyers, pimps and even the FBI agents who arrested her. Linda’s book was never finished and the tapes unplayed – until now. With unprecedented and exclusive access to Linda’s astonishing 200 hours of never-before-heard interviews, BILLIE showcases an American legend, capturing her depths and complexity through the voices of those who knew her best. Painstakingly restored with footage and stills colorized by one of the leading color artists, it is an arresting and powerful tale of one of the greatest singers who ever lived, and of Linda Lipnack Kuehl, the woman who would sacrifice her life in trying to tell it.

A film by James ESKINE

starring Billie Holiday, Linda Lipnack Kuehl, Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Jimmy Fletcher, Bobby Tucker, Jimmy Rowles, Sylvia Syms

United Kingdom – 2020 – Documentary – 1h38 – VOST – 2,35 – 5.1 – Visa Nº 153.700



Themes : Music, segregation, racism

Réalisateur : James Eskine

Distribution (France) :
L’Atelier Distribution
http://latelierdistribution.fr/billie/

First French release: 30 September 2020
New French release (after pandemic): 19 May 2021

The film is available on Globecast and Coinage