Bradley Cooper presenting Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen and Caitrin Rogers with the Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature for "20 Feet from Stardom" at the 86th Oscars® in 2014.
They are the voices behind the greatest Rock, Pop and Rhythm and Blues hits of all time, but no one knows their names. Now in this award-winning documentary, director Morgan Neville shines the spotlight on the untold stories of legendary background singers. These are the triumphs and heartbreaks of music's greatest unsung talents, featuring rare behind the scenes footage, vintage live performances and interviews with superstars Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder and Bette Midler.
A major delight of 20 Feet from Stardom are all the expert insights into the role and the importance of backup singers offered by Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Stevie Wonder. Sting even salutes these singers for giving a spiritual lift to rock and pop music.
Here is a heartfelt tribute to the talent, patience and perseverance of backup singers and their quest for a rightful place in the spotlight. These women have their own special vocal gifts and are familiar with the rigors of tutoring and studio work, but what they excel at is creating a group sound, sacrificing the individual voice to create that special blend.
This praise and the many clips of the performances confirm that these voices are gifts that need to be shared with the world. We were so impressed with this extraordinary documentary that we immediately ordered the soundtrack so we can savor the music again and again!
I just watched 20FT From Stardom, absolutely recommend this documentary, preserving the legacy of Background Singers/Groups during an artistic renaissance in BIPOC culture and Black History
Saw this beautiful documentary today. All these SINGERS (beyond "background") are phenomenal & their stories inspirational. Sorry to the few people who felt the typical "mass murders" death & despair, didn't win. 20 feet from stardom was equally as deserving.
Calling The Act of Killing a "typical mass murders death and despair" is a huge oversight to what's the film actually have to contribute to documentary filmmaking both from a journalistic and artistic standpoint. I agree that one's subject matter shouldn't be a determinant of its quality, but your reductive assertion of what's The Act of Killing is makes as much sense as if I called 20 Ft to Stardom a "mediocre backstage story from some dvd extras"
Making it in the music industry takes perseverance, talent and deep commitment. Anyone who has self-doubt may end up quitting before they hit success, but the one who manage to stay true to their goals can end up fulfilling their dreams.
The Square is the first documentary about the Syria conflict to be Oscar nominated, then came Last Men In Aleppo, then For Sama, and then The Cave. Both The Cave and For Sama were in the same year, hope one on that theme wins, and that is in Arabic as well
The Oscars are a fucking joke. This wins over The act of killing? Sorry it's not as optimistic as you wish it was. Why do people still see the Oscars as prestigious?
A few critics did point out that The Act of Killing really focused on genocide and less on the full emotional picture that the story of the dead deserved.
Did you see the documentary though? It's was pretty awesome. And high lighted some great musicals moments that we are al familiar with. But never even known the names of the performers
