The 9 Lives of Barbara Dane (2023)

In this exuberant dance of a documentary, familiar movements in the 20th century get a high-energy shakeup in the story of a powerhouse blues/jazz/folk singer, activist, feminist, record producer, and committed troublemaker. Pick a 20th-century social justice movement, and this unsung hero of American music was probably there. Standing strong with her singular confidence, Dane emanated the people-powered connectivity of folk, the defiance of blues, and the elemental cool of jazz, while propelling major historic events with boldness and subversion that cut through commercial artifice and earned her a 5" FBI file. THE 9 LIVES OF BARBARA DANE is an underground history of a singer-agitator overlooked by many storytellers of American history. Overlooked, that is, until now. Dane's unbending principles guide her through notoriety, obscurity, and finally, music legend. Through the lens of a recent concert tour, we examine an outspoken and tireless artist whose devotion to music and social justice showcases the vigor and spirit at the heart of American dissent.