It’s the closest thing to witnessing a miracle — just some cameras, a crowd and a voice touched by God. Over two days in January of 1972, Aretha Franklin got up to sing out her gospel at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, backed by the Southern California Community Choir. A film crew was there to catch the Queen of Soul blow the roof off the place.
The film will be followed by a Skype Q&A hosted by James Collie of Violet Pictures with the producer Joe Boyd who worked on Amazing Grace from the moment it was filmed in the church in 1972.
Joe Boyd is the legendary Boston-born record producer who discovered Pink Floyd, contributed to the scores of A Clockwork Orange and Deliverance, worked with artists like Nick Drake, REM and Billy Bragg, and co-directed the documentary "Jimi Hendrix:, to list just a few of his accomplishments. The "Amazing Grace" producer will give us insight to the hellish struggle to release Aretha Franklin's heavenly concert movie.
The new monthly Quarterhouse Doc Club is a film club hosted by Violet Pictures devoted to showing documentaries from mainstream to experimental, historical and contemporary, with a discussion after each screening.
Watch the trailer
Inquiring Nuns
Apollo 11
Walking Holding/Pause