logologo
MovieVerse© 2024
Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceContact Us
Made with ❤️ by Thathsara
movie poster
Billie Holiday: A Sensation
Sign in to create your own watchlist

Billie Holiday: A Sensation

Apr 7, 2015
0h 52m
★ 8.0

Overview

A documentary about the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday (1915-1959). There exist many myths and legends about the Jazz Singer Billie Holiday — one of the greatest voices of the last century. Most of them tell the story of the tragic victim of drugs, alcohol, men, color, or the circumstances of her upbringing. To some extent she contributed herself to these legends, especially in her autobiography "Lady Sings the Blues". In recent years, more and more records and reports have shown a different picture of her. These statements of confidants, colleagues and friends clean up with many of the legends and show a strong personality who has been anything but a pitiable victim. Billie Holiday was a strong-willed and determined person and a very complex personality who did not correspond to the classic victim type.

Genres

Documentary
Music
TV Movie

Production Companies

TAG/TRAUM Filmproduktion
SWR/Arte

Billie Holiday: A Sensation Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Billie Holiday

herself

Billie Holiday

Julia Blackburn

Herself

Julia Blackburn

Cassandra Wilson

Herself

Cassandra Wilson

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Herself

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Dan Morgenstern

Himself

Dan Morgenstern

You may also like

Bob Saget: That Ain't Right
5.0

Bob Saget: That Ain't Right

Aug 25, 2007

Well-known television personality Bob Saget -- perhaps best known for his portrayal of squeaky-clean TV dad Danny Tanner on "Full House" -- headlines an unpredictable evening of adult-flavored comedy in this raucous stand-up special. Highlights include Saget's performance of "Danny Tanner Is Not Gay," a pop parody set to the tune of the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way," and the music video "Rollin' with Saget" featuring Jamie Kennedy.

My Survival as an Aboriginal
0.0

My Survival as an Aboriginal

Jul 10, 1979

Essie Coffey gives the children lessons on Aboriginal culture. She speaks of the importance of teaching these kids about their traditions. Aboriginal kids are forgetting about their Aboriginal heritage because they are being taught white culture instead.

The Rape of Recy Taylor
7.8

The Rape of Recy Taylor

May 30, 2019

Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 Alabama. Common in Jim Crow South, few women spoke up in fear for their lives. Not Recy Taylor, who bravely identified her rapists. The NAACP sent its chief rape investigator Rosa Parks, who rallied support and triggered an unprecedented outcry for justice. The film exposes a legacy of physical abuse of black women and reveals Rosa Parks’ intimate role in Recy Taylor’s story.

The Line, the Cross & the Curve
7.2

The Line, the Cross & the Curve

Nov 13, 1993

A singer struggles to dance well in rehearsal with her band. A power outage leaves her alone in the studio, reviewing her life, when a mysterious woman appears through the mirror and gives her a pair of Red Shoes. The cursed shoes dance beautifully, but endlessly. The singer is drawn irresistibly into the fey world beyond the mirror, where she must redeem three magic symbols from the mysterious woman in order to obtain release from the cursed shoes.

No Image Available
0.0

Mavericks

Nov 16, 2019

In this posthumous film, shot in Montreal in 2013 and completed by Michka Saäl’s colleagues and friends, the filmmaker salutes the beauty of Montreal and its people. From the back alleys of the Plateau to artists’ apartments, from a passionate recycling advocate to a queen of the night, everyday heroes are the subject of this final film. They are humble folk, faithful to their personal ethical sense, determined to make the world more beautiful. They are true adventurers, especially as seen by Michka Saäl.

Tears For Fears - Going To California
6.9

Tears For Fears - Going To California

Jan 1, 1990

Going To California is a concert performance video by the British pop group Tears For Fears. Released in 1990, it is a recording of the band's show at the Santa Barbara County Bowl in May 1990 during their "Seeds Of Love" World Tour.

No Image Available
6.1

A Walk to Beautiful

May 5, 2007

"A Walk to Beautiful" tells the story of five women in Ethiopia suffering from devastating childbirth injuries. Rejected by their husbands and ostracized by their communities, these women are left to spend the rest of their lives in loneliness and shame. The trials they endure and their attempts to rebuild their lives tell a universal story of hope, courage, and transformation.

Saroyanland
6.5

Saroyanland

Dec 6, 2013

Saroyanland is a docu-drama focusing on the journey of famous writer William Saroyan to the birthplace of his Armenian family Bitlis, in Turkey in 1964. While retaking the same road, the film aims to understand Saroyan's unique attitude to belonging, witnessing the self-discovery of a man who followed the traces of his Armenian ancestors.

Oscar Peterson Trio: The Stuttgart Concert
0.0

Oscar Peterson Trio: The Stuttgart Concert

Oct 25, 2011

The concert held at the ZDF JazzClub in Stuttgart in 1988 was played by Oscar Peterson together with the drummer Kenny Drew and the double bass player Dave Young. Their collaboration had begun in 1974. For Drew, who was British, it lasted until 2004, while the Canadian Young was a regular member of Peterson's trio for 25 years. Jazz classics, including a medley with five compositions from Duke Ellington's repertoire, form the core of the concert.

Don't Breathe
5.0

Don't Breathe

Sep 4, 2014

Don’t Breathe is a dark comedy set in Georgia that follows the tribulations of a middle-aged man, Levan, who is suddenly led to question his existence because of a routine medical examination. It sends him into a downward spiral of paranoia and doubt as he fumbles his way through the theatre of the absurd that we call life. Using humour and a playful tone, the film examines the fragility of human nature, when our bearings get lost and our imagination takes over, highlighting our common fears, doubts, hopes and resilience.

Let's Get Lost
7.1

Let's Get Lost

Sep 15, 1988

Documentary about jazz great Chet Baker that intercuts footage from the 1950s, when he was part of West Coast Cool, and from his last years. We see the young Baker, he of the beautiful face, in California and in Italy, where he appeared in at least one movie and at least one jail cell (for drug possession). And, we see the aged Baker, detached, indifferent, his face a ruin. Includes interviews with his children and ex-wife, women companions, and musicians.

No Image Available
10.0

Sister Aimee

Apr 2, 2007

At the peak of her immense popularity in the 1920s, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson was drawing larger crowds to her revivals than those of P.T. Barnum or Harry Houdini. This chapter of "American Experience" paints a vivid portrait of the controversial and charismatic religious figure. Credited with mainstreaming religion in American culture, Sister Aimee created one of the country's first Christian radio stations, among other accomplishments.

Cold Sassy Tree
6.5

Cold Sassy Tree

Oct 16, 1989

In the early 20th century, an independent lady from up North causes a scandal when she decides to wed an older local general-store owner just three weeks after he's been widowed.

Kingdom of Us
6.9

Kingdom of Us

Oct 7, 2017

How does a traumatic event shape a family? How do you sift through the memories to find hidden clues and unlock a collective grief? Kingdom of Us takes a look at a mother and her seven children, whose father's suicide left them in financial ruin. Through home movies and raw moments, the Shanks family travels the rocky road towards hope.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
6.8

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years

Jun 17, 1988

An exploration of the heavy metal scene in Los Angeles, with particular emphasis on glam metal. It features concert footage and interviews of legendary heavy metal and hard rock bands and artists such as Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Megadeth, Motörhead, Ozzy Osbourne and W.A.S.P..

Punk's Not Dead
6.1

Punk's Not Dead

Jul 27, 2007

On the edge of the 30th anniversary of punk rock, Punk's Not Dead takes you into the sweaty underground clubs, backyard parties, recording studios, shopping malls and stadiums where punk rock music and culture continue to thrive.

After the Apology
0.0

After the Apology

Oct 9, 2017

Suellyn thought the Department of Community Services (DOCS) would only remove children in extreme cases, until her own grandchildren were taken in the middle of the night. Hazel decided to take on the DOCS system after her fourth grandchild was taken into state care. Jen Swan expected to continue to care for her grandchildren but DOCS deemed her unsuitable, a shock not just to her but to her sister, Deb, who was, at the time, a DOCS worker. The rate of Indigenous child removal has actually increased since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the apology to the ‘stolen generations’ in 2008. These four grandmothers find each other and start a national movement to place extended families as a key solution to the rising number of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. They are not only taking on the system; they are changing it…

Miles Davis - Live in Montreal
8.0

Miles Davis - Live in Montreal

Jan 1, 2020

One of the true legends of the jazz scene, Miles Davis was not only a virtuoso on the trumpet, but also one of the founders of cool Jazz, Groove, Hard Bop, and Fusion. Available for the first time completely digitally re-recorded is Davis' live performance in Montreal with rare concert footage. This is a must-have for all jazz lovers.

Dance Crazy in Hollywood
6.0

Dance Crazy in Hollywood

Jan 1, 1990

American dancer and choreographer Hermes Pan recalls his life and work as he relives the glorious history of the Hollywood musical.

Act of God
4.1

Act of God

Aug 2, 2009

A Canadian documentary feature film that investigates the effects of being struck by lightning.