Event
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence
“Really an extraordinary film.” – FilmWeek
“…moving and intimate look at her (Janis Ian) life and genius as a musical storyteller. Kudos to director Varda Bar-Karfor crafting a documentary as direct and uncompromisingly honest as its subject.” – In Their Own League
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
In 1965, Janis Ian, a 14-year-old singer-songwriter from New Jersey, wrote “Society’s Child” about an interracial relationship. Recorded and released a year later, the song launched Ian’s career, but its subject matter ignited controversy, even resulting in death threats. The fallout plunged Ian into an emotional tailspin–and yet a few years later she emerged from the ashes with an even bigger hit, “At Seventeen.”
Over six decades, Janis Ian gained 10 Grammy nominations in 8 different categories, saw her song “Stars” recorded by such luminaries as Nina Simone and Cher, and overcame homophobia, misogyny, and a life-threatening illness to produce an indelible body of work that continues to draw audiences around the globe.
Featuring Janis Ian, Joan Baez, Jean Smart, Arlo Guthrie, Lily Tomlin, and Tom Paxton, among other icons.
