Director: Philip Cox
Writer(s): Philip Cox
Starring: Mike Canton, Oliver Wang, Al Gee, Vernon Gibbs, Greg Errico, Elnora B. Neal, Nickey Neal, Philip Cox, Connie Portis, Miles Davis, Greg Tate, Winona Williams, Militia Vox, Tamar-kali, Fred Mills, Desmond Nakano, Carlton “Carlos” Morales, Larry Johnson, Betty Davis, Kim El
Synopsis: Funk Queen Betty Davis changed the landscape for female artists in America. She “was the first…” as former husband Miles Davis said. “Madonna before Madonna, Prince before Prince”. An aspiring songwriter from a small steel town, Betty arrived on the 70’s scene to break boundaries for women with her daring personality, iconic fashion and outrageous funk music. She befriended Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, wrote songs for the Chambers Brothers and the Commodores, and married Miles – startlingly turning him from jazz to funk on the album she named “Bitches Brew”. She then, despite being banned and boycotted, went on to become the first black woman to perform, write and manage herself. Betty was a feminist pioneer, inspiring and intimidating in a manner like no woman before. Then suddenly – she just vanished. Betty Mabry Davis is a global icon whose mysterious life story has until now, never been told. Creatively blending documentary, animation and nonfiction techniques, this movie traces the path of Betty’s life, how she grew from humble upbringings to become a fully self-realized black female pioneer the world failed to understand or appreciate, revealing the mystery of her 35-year disappearance and her battle with mental illness and poverty. After years of trying, the elusive Betty, forever the free-spirited Black Power Goddess, finally allowed the filmmakers to creatively tell her story based on their conversations.
Release Date: May 23, 2018 (USA) | Length: 54 min | Genre: Biography, History, Music | MPAA Rating: Unknown
Note: Premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam on November 22, 2017. Above is the US theatrical release date. I need to see this documentary to better identify people.