Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, February 29: MAVIS!
Jessica Edwards’ loving profile of a soul singer made its bow at SXSW last year. It went on to screen at Nantucket, IDFA, Sheffield, New Zealand, Melbourne, Martha’s Vineyard African American, Vancouver, Woodstock, Mill Valley, Rocky Mountain Women’s, Athena, and Big Sky, among other events.
I previously wrote about the doc for Nantucket’s program, saying:
With a career spanning six decades and counting, Mavis Staples and her family’s legendary music group, The Staple Singers, have entertained millions with songs like “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again.” Director Jessica Edwards weaves together past and present to chart Staples’ storied career, from touring the gospel circuit and writing memorable civil rights anthems to topping the soul charts and working with notables like Bob Dylan, Prince, and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. The result is a warm, revealing portrait and a well-deserved tribute to the Grammy Award-winning music talent, an ebullient figure still touring at the age of 75.
what (not) to doc 