Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)

American musician, record producer, and filmmaker Questlove revealed to many a remarkable part of black history that had been previously glossed over with his documentary Summer of Soul. The concert film weaves together beautiful footage from the free Harlem Music Festival that took place over six weeks in 1961 with interviews from the people who attended and performed, who look back fondly over 50 years later.

It features soul-healing performances for Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mavis Staples, Sly and the Family Stone, and The Chambers Brothers. Summer of Soul is a touching celebration of the amazing fashion, music, and culture in Harlem as well as an important political film that touches on race, class, and legacy.

Where to watch: Disney +

Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. (2018)

Fans, haters, and curious views are given an insight into the multi-faceted controversial but undeniably talented singer M.I.A. in this documentary that spans over 22 years of the rapper’s life. Documenting her rise to fame, her own perspective on her controversies, public appearances, her political activism, and her identity as an East Asian woman, the viewer gains a better grasp of who Maya Arulpragasam is through the course of the film. The eccentric star is mesmerising in this critically acclaimed documentary that won World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance 2018.

Where to watch: Apple TV

Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)

Madonna: Truth or Dare is an important chapter in pop culture with many other documentaries, parodies, and reality TV shows taking notes from the film. It’s still one of the highest-grossing documentaries ever made. The film provides a deep look at Madonna’s relationships with her crew, then-boyfriend Warren Beatty, family, and friends whilst on her Blonde Ambition tour. Edited in a moody black-and-white whilst the performances are left in radiant colour, it’s a visually stunning film as well as an illuminating one. All hail the queen of pop.  

Where to watch: you’ll have to buy a DVD of the one

Homecoming (2019)

Beyoncé’s self-directed, written, and produced concert film on the performance held in 2018 at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is the music documentary to end all music docs. Receiving widespread critical acclaim, with some even saying it’s one of the greatest concert films of all time, it won Best Music Film at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards and Best Music Documentary at the IDA Documentary Awards 2019. Beyoncé grants the audience an inside look at how she takes a concept, revises, rehearses, and creates a cultural moment that will be remembered throughout history. If you need some inspiration in your life watch now.

Where to watch: Netflix

Amy (2015)

Sparking heavy criticism from Amy Winehouse’s father, Mitch Winehouse, Amy pulls archival footage and personal testimonials to piece together a heart-wrenching but tender story of a talented beauty who departed too soon. Critically acclaimed yet controversial, everyone will have a different take on Amy which gives a portrait of the life and career of the British singer as she struggles with addiction, fame, the media, and her family. RIP Amy.

Where to watch: Apple TV

Dave Chappelle’s Block Party(2005)

A wild unpredictable shambolic funfest from start to finish Dave Chappelle’s Block Party follows comedian Chappelle during the summer of 2004 as he throws a block party in the Clinton Hill neighbourhood of Brooklyn. The free rap show in Brooklyn featured Kanye West, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, The Roots, and briefly reunited The Fugees. If you like amazing rap performances, hip hop, and a lot of guerrilla marketing through megaphones it’s the one for you.

Where to watch: again, it might have to be a DVD

Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017)

We see a softer side to the formidable pop icon Gaga in Gaga: Five Foot Two. The documentary follows Gaga in 2016 through the lead-up to Joanna and her Superbowl performance. From interactions with her fans, her struggles with chronic pain, intel into her feud with Madonna, the filming of American Horror Story: Roanoke, and her home life, there’s nothing that’s off the table in this unguarded revealing documentary.

Where to watch: Netflix

Miss Americana(2020)

Megastar Taylor Swift comes off as personable, smart, and down-to-earth in this emotional revealing documentary filmed over several years of the singer’s life. Starting from her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018 it follows her journey up to her seventh studio album Lover in 2019. Tackling sensitive subjects with strength and grace such as her battle with body dysmorphia, her mother’s cancer diagnosis, the toxic internet culture, her sexual assault trial, self-esteem issues, and her decision to go public with her political views, Swift shows why she is an incredible role model for all young women.

Where to watch: Netflix

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)

A must-see for every Selenators or anyone who grew up watching the star on Wizards of Waverley Place. The documentary follows Selena Gomez through a six-year period of her career and reveals her struggles with fame and physical and mental well-being in the wake of her diagnosis with lupus and bipolar disorder. Praised for its mental health transparency the film is a raw and vulnerable look into the mind and life of Gomez. Emotional but ultimately uplifting – pass the tissues.

Where to watch: Apple TV

The Upcoming Rihanna Documentary(2023 – hopefully!)

With over 1,000 hours of footage filmed over six and a half years, it’s no surprise that the editing of this documentary has taken so long and is still a work in progress. With the footage providing an up-close look at the rise of Rihanna’s billion-dollar empire Fenty, the singer at work in the studio, her relationship with Rocky, and RiRi’s experiences of new motherhood, we cannot wait to see it. It’s recently been sold to Amazon so hopefully we’ll be to watch soon.

Where to watch: probably Amazon Prime

Words By: Molly Sutherland

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From the early 2000s into the later 2010s, Victoria’s Secret dominated the lingerie market, being the go-to brand for intimates. When it introduced its annual fashion show in 1995, the label rose to meteoric fame, possessing one of the most exclusive and most-viewed runway shows in the world.

The big question is: Will Victoria’s Secret be able to take off again? Following several media scandals and court cases, the American lingerie brand founded in 1977 is struggling to change its image.

Victoria’s Secret is now committed to celebrating diversity in an attempt to survive.

Let’s go back to Victoria’s Secret timeline of a difficult rebranding:

This rebranding began in the summer of 2019, as Teen Vogue just reported: while marketing director Edward Razik was stepping down, a trans woman appeared in a brand campaign for the first time, Valentina Sampaio. 

In March 2021, the brand parted ways with Les Wexner, long-time CEO and founder of L Brands, owner of Victoria’s Secret, and Bath & Body Works. The following month, it began selling its first maternity bras, which was quite symbolic.

And most importantly, in June, the brand announced that they were done glorifying their ‘Angels’. 

Instead, it celebrates the VS Collective: seven personalities, not necessarily models, including footballer Megan Rapinoe, plus-size model Paloma Elsesser, and trans model Valentina Sampaio. In this vein, Victoria’s Secret has also started to display more morphological diversity on its website and in its campaigns, as well as marketing post-mastectomy bras.

In addition to this rebranding, Victoria’s Secret has also launched a podcast called VS Voices and set up a global fund for programs to fight cancers that primarily affect women, such as breast cancer. Victoria’s Secret is thus leading important changes, perhaps difficult to carry out and above all to install in the collective imagination.

The release of this documentary comes at the right time to understand the secrets of this fashion industry giant.

The three-episode docuseries will chronicle how Victoria’s Secret became one of the most popular brands in the world to its downfall. The project will also take a closer look at the company’s longtime CEO, Wexner, and his close ties with Epstein.

Episodes will explore Wexner’s life and how he managed to build a billion-dollar fashion empire; Victoria’s Secret Angels became global superstars and its expansion to adolescents with their brand Pink; and its struggles when they were still part of the L Brands (now known as Bath & Body Works, Inc.) family.

Each will also explore how Wexner and Epstein grew close and how the latter’s weighty allegations contributed to the downfall of Wexner’s empire amid an already shifting cultural and fashion landscape.All three episodes of the series will be available to stream exclusively on Hulu starting July 14.

Words by Melodie Bitala-Samba

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The documentary has been in the making for over 20 years, with footage from Kanye’s studio sessions and behind the scenes action spanning over two decades. The series has been branded as “a once in a lifetime three-week global event”, which will commence on February 16th.

During the trailer, we see that Kanye has been referring to himself as a genius since 2002, confirming our beliefs that West has never lacked confidence in himself. As the trailer goes on, we see glimpses from different parts of Kanye’s life, including footage from when he shattered his jaw. This is a moment of Ye’s life with much importance, as his debut single ‘Through The Wire’ was recorded and written whilst his jaw was wired shut. For music fans, this is going to be incredible to watch!

West’s lifelong friends and collaborators Coodie & Chike are the directors of the three-part film. When describing the film, Chike said;

“We’re crossing generations in three films. At the end, Kanye is collaborating with artists that were babies. But the crazy part is that Kanye’s a throughline; still as relevant at the end as he is in the beginning because his music passes the test of time.”

Netflix has also unveiled a ‘First Look Clip’, in which we can see a young Kanye rapping acapella with Yasiin Bey (formally known as Mos Def). Although the snippet only lasts 2 minutes, it exudes passion and enthusiasm, leaving us viewers wanting to see more. 

We can’t wait to watch ‘jeen-yuhs’ and learn more about how Kanye worked his way to becoming one of the most successful and talked about artists of all time. 

Words By Nadia Clasper

_{Photo Credit: Officialcoodieandchike Instagram}

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American actress, author and businesswoman Gwyneth Paltrow has teamed up with Netflix to bring out an upcoming documentary series called The Goop Lab, based on her own lifestyle and wellness company, Goop. The series will examine in depth the various practices of energy healing, cold therapy, anti-aging, psychedelic drugs and how they impact different aspects of female sexuality.

The first trailer was released earlier this month, and promises glimpses into intimate scenes of experimental therapy sessions and spiritual awakenings for a number of women, with one of them confessing ‘I went through five years of therapy in about five hours’. This claim seems to reinforce Goop’s description on their company website which states,

‘We start hard conversations, crack open taboos, and look for connection and resonance everywhere we can find it.’

This six-part series, produced by Paltrow herself, is then shown to centre upon acts of transgression, namely female masturbation, exorcism and intoxication, and doesn’t seem to hold back on their meticulous treatment of these marginal topics and taboos.

The Goop Lab is set to premiere on January 24 on Netflix.

Words by Shir Ariya

Graphics by Katie Janes

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The film will document the behind the scenes story of the iconic designer, being directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui

The trailer does not disappoint, showing some of the designer’s most memorable moments with a quote from the man himself “If you leave without emotion, I’m not doing my job properly,” “I want you to feel repulsed or exhilarated.”

It also gives a glimpse into McQueen’s working class background, digging deeper into his story, without the focus only being on his extravagant life. Catch the documentary in cinemas June 8th.

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