Dream of Life

Eleven years in the making, Patti Smith: Dream of Life (a feature length documentary with recent concert footage) is a unique and intimate portrait of the renowned singer, songwriter, poet, and activist. Patti Smith's music, poetry, and politics are fearless, funny, raw, and original. Photographer-director Steven Sebring creates a beautiful collage of images, memories, and performances, illuminating the complexities and capturing the essence of this distinctive, legendary icon. The film traces Patti Smith's punk-poet roots through the trials of daily life and untimely deaths that have formed her life and art. Smith narrates the film touching on her early days in New York City, the people dearest to her (late husband Fred "Sonic" Smith, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Mapplethorpe, and others), her family, and the political causes she champions. Through beautiful cinematography (both black & white and color), Sebring captures the essential nature of this vital and relevant American artist.