Logline

Opowieść o życiu jednego człowieka, może stać się opowieścią o całym pokoleniu, o całym społeczeństwie. Niesamowita historia geniusza i zarazem człowieka z krwi i kości – Raya Charlesa ­­– to zarazem historia Ameryki.

Synopsis

With pithy one-liners and anecdotes, a wide range of culturally significant Americans describe blind, black musician Ray Charles, who in the turbulent decades of the 1950s and 1960s managed to unite black and white America with his swinging soul music. The cast is bursting with superstars from the very beginning: Quincy Jones, Clint Eastwood, Nelson George, Mable John, Fran Drescher, Jesse L. Jackson, Willie Nelson and Ben Fong-Torres all make an appearance. Tom Waits compares Charles's range to a long river, while in one of the most moving scenes, Elton John appears during the last-ever live studio recording made by Charles, who died in 2004. The interviews, historical footage, archive photos, concert clips, location footage and news moments bring great clarity thanks to the way they are structured: by theme. This results in a complete impression of this fascinating musician, who was blind, black and addicted - to women, drugs and money - but could not be classified or categorized and went on to embody the American dream.

D.P.

Wybrane nagrody i festiwale /Selected festivals and awards: 2010 - MFF Amsterdam/ IDFA.