10 Best Documentaries About Overlooked Artists

10 Best Documentaries About Overlooked Artists

While there are many documentaries about artists, these tell the important stories of visionaries who have not gotten the attention they deserved.

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Some of the most important and influential documentaries in recent years have been about artists. Whether they be about music icons (Amy), athletes (Man on Wire), or movie stars (Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond), audiences have been fascinated to learn more about artists they know and love.

However, documentaries about unsung artists have also been embraced by audiences. With many of them focusing on artists who either found themselves struggling with fame or were never close to achieving it in the first place, these documentaries tell the important stories of visionaries who have not gotten the attention they deserved.

10 The Sparks Brothers (Now In Theaters)

Edgar Wright’s feature documentary debut details the career of Sparks, dubbed in the film as “your favorite band’s favorite band.” Focusing on the two brothers that front the band, the documentary dives into the trajectory of their career to show their highest of highs and lowest of lows.

Marrying Edgar Wright’s trademark energy and fun with an interesting story of a band that should be considered among the greats, The Sparks Brothers provides an inventive look at unsung musicians of the 1980s and 1990s.

9 Searching For Sugar Man (Available For Rent On Amazon Prime)

Searching For Sugar Man tells the story of the singer Rodriguez, an American singer who unknowingly became a national celebrity in South Africa when his songs became popular there as he lived in domestic obscurity. As his popularity grew in the 1990s, a group of superfans made it their mission to find the man behind Rodriguez.

One of the most acclaimed documentaries of recent years, Sugar Man was lauded due to its involving story and poignant portrayal of Rodriguez’s troubles with artistry. As he enjoys a surge in popularity late in his career, the documentary drives home the importance of being patient for success.

8 Finding Vivian Maier (Available On AMC+)

Directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel, this documentary unveils the life of Vivian Maier, a nanny in Chicago whose photographs would posthumously become some of the most celebrated works in the photography world. Telling the story through the eyes of the man who found her photographs, the film gives an intimate and detailed look at her artistry.

With an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature, the film is a very powerful tale of a talented and overlooked artist. Maier has posthumously become one of the most beloved photographers in the world.

7 Twenty Feet From Stardom (Available To Rent On Amazon Prime)

From the director of Won’t You Be My Neighbor, this documentary focuses on the stories of background artists in the music industry. Shows the lives of some of the voices behind iconic songs, the documentary highlights the passion and hard work of many backup singers.

With a surprising and deeply emotional story, Twenty Feet From Stardom works well, in part, because it dives deep into an aspect of the music industry that many people take for granted. It makes the important and poignant point that those in the background may be just as important as those in the foreground.

6 Be Here To Love Me

This 2004 documentary tells the life story of American singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Told through interviews with his family and various other musical contemporaries such as Lyle Lovett and Kris Kristofferson, the film examines the life of an influential artist who never got the credit that he deserved.

Told with a notable amount of care, while not being afraid to discuss the darker aspects of Van Zandt’s life, Margaret Brown’s documentary excels in examining the life of a somewhat forgotten artist.

5 Standing In The Shadows Of Motown (Available To Rent On Amazon Prime)

Many people know about the stars signed to Detroit’s Motown Records in the 1960s-1970s, such as Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5. However, this documentary tells the story of the unknown backing band that helped make these artists stars, a band called The Funk Brothers.

Released in 2002, this documentary examines the largely unknown band that helped create some of the biggest musical stars of that decade. Telling the story through interviews with the surviving band members as well as archival footage, this film presents an intimate picture of the band as they helped launch the careers of music superstars.

4 Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (Available On Netflix)

Written and directed by Griffin Dunne of An American Werewolf In London fame, this documentary examines the life of influential Hollywood journalist, Joan Didion. While she was well-known during her career, this documentary shows how much of her work should have received even greater critical acclaim.

Told through archival footage as well as interviews with many superstars, the documentary provides an intriguing look at Didion’s life and what motivated her writing. While Didion’s fan base is somewhat large, many viewers have found themselves introduced to Didion’s work through this film.

3 The Devil And Daniel Johnston (Available To Rent On Amazon Prime)

Ever since Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil, music and the underworld have had a curious relationship. One of the prime examples of this is Daniel Johnston, an influential alternative music pioneer who had bipolar disorder.

Darker than most music biopics, The Devil And Daniel Johnston does a great job at diving into the psyche of an artist who was unafraid to push musical boundaries and create new lanes for himself.

2 How To Draw A Bunny

The mysterious life of pop artist Ray Johnson is chronicled in this documentary. Known for his signature bunny rabbit drawings, filmmaker John W. Walter uses interviews with Johnson’s contemporaries, as well as examples of his work to explore Johnson’s life and what made him tick.

Johnson is the definition of an overlooked artist, someone whose work was only known in a few niche circles. This documentary does a great job at explaining this to viewers outside of these circles, as well as exploring how artists like Johnson work.

1 The Woodmans (Available To Stream On Kanopy)

Produced for PBS, The Woodmans tells the story of a family of artists whose world was shattered when their daughter Francesca took her own life. This documentary follows The Woodman family as they process their grief, while Francesca’s photographs posthumously become some of the most influential works of art of her time.

The Woodmans is an incredibly emotional look at the effect that artistry can have on someone’s life. Director Scott Willis’ look at Francesca’s quest for fame provides a potent and concise critique of the art world, while also being a deep character study of those within it.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-documentaries-about-overlooked-artists/

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