“I’ve been around the block — too many times,” Grace Jones observes in a trailer for Sophie Fiennes’ new documentary. “Around the globe is more like it.” That’s for sure: Jones is an international superstar, an icon. But Fiennes’ “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” promises to show us the person, or “human,” as Jones puts it, behind the beloved performer.
As the spot suggests, the singer-songwriter enjoys her work but also sees it as isolating. “The performer out there takes the risk,” Jones explains. “It’s a lonely place, but a fascinating lonely place.” “Bloodlight and Bami” might be Jones’ chance to connect directly with her fans.
In addition to putting out albums like “Slave to the Rhythm,” Jones has worked as a music producer, supermodel, and actress. Her most recent screen credit is the 2016 German film “Gutterdammerung,” about a punk angel who is sent to earth.
Prior to “Bloodlight and Bami,” Fiennes helmed docs including “Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow” and “Hoover Street Revival.” When we asked her about the lack of opportunities for female directors, Fiennes said, “In terms of fiction, it comes down to the stories we as a society want to tell. Why so much violence against women? Do women want to make these kinds of films? The tyranny of genre as a guiding industry principle seems to leave women either on a rom-com merry-go-round or laid out of autopsy.”
“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” will premiere September 7 at TIFF. It hits UK theaters October 27, but a U.S. release date hasn’t been announced yet.
