Released just a few years after her death, this forms a picture of who Janis was through interviews and performance clips.
Acting
Janis performing herself—raw, messy, impossible to look away from.
Editing
Jarring cuts between soaring concerts and fragile interviews.
Sound
That voice—untamed, breaking, somehow still lifting you up.
Director
Howard Alk
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released in 1974 when the 60s were being buried and commodified simultaneously—this fought to keep Janis human, not just a Woodstock t-shirt.
Director Howard Alk was part of the Chicago Seven trial film crew; he brought that same you-are-there immediacy to Janis's final years.
US
CA
