Joan Baez – How Sweet The Sound

Synopsis

In the first comprehensive film to chronicle the private life and public career of Joan Baez, Thirteen’s American Masters documentary Joan Baez: How Sweet The Sound examines her history as a recording artist and performer as well as her remarkable journey as the conscience of a generation. In addition to featuring rare, archival performance footage, the film includes candid interviews with David Crosby, Bob Dylan, ex-husband David Harris, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Roger McGuinn, and more. The film is rich with historic material including footage of Baez’ controversial visit to North Vietnam and footage of Martin Luther King Jr. outside a California prison, where he visited Joan to offer his support after she was jailed for protesting the draft during the Vietnam War. Following Baez on her 2008-2009 world tour, the filmmakers captured Baez in performance as well as in intimate conversations with individuals whose lives parallel hers. From a stop in Sarajevo, Bosnia to revisit the scene of Joan’s courageous trip to that war-torn city in the middle of the 1993 siege, to Nashville, TN, where she joined Steve Earle to talk about their collaboration on Joan’s 2008 Grammy-nominated album Day After Tomorrow, the film allows viewers an unprecedented level of access to Ms. Baez.

Additional Info

• No: 9840
• Production year: 2009
• Run time: 01:24:00
• Director: Mary Wharton
• Producers: RAZOR & TIE in co-production with THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG
• Format: HDTV 16:9