A popular hit at Hot Docs 2015, this spirited portrait of Mavis Staples shines with six decades of genre-crossing and perspective-changing music. Staples reveals intimate tales of her life onstage and off-from the Southern gospel circuit and freedom songs beloved by Martin Luther King Jr., to more recent chart-topping hits. Audiences will enjoy stirring renditions of “I’ll Take You There,” “Do It Again,” “Why Am I Treated So Bad” and more, alongside enthusiastic interviews with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Chuck D and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. The joy of fandom from director Jessica Edwards is undeniable as the film weaves together archival footage, interviews and buoyant live performances to create a paean to the living legend. It’s exactly this open-heartedness that makes Mavis! accessible to all: the unconverted and the choir, alike.
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