Film - What Happened, Miss Simone?

What’s appealing about documentaries is that I often have more to learn that I thought. Our mind tends to only remind us only of the good times and the success with the expectation of Elvis. Although that’s possibly because we’ve had four decades to hear the truer stories.

I’ve since seen a Josephine Baker documentary and have learned so much about this extraordinary character too, although I knew even less to start with.

Growing up in segregated America, it was by chance that Nina Simone was offered piano lessons as a youngster which set her on a life long mission to play classical music. Sadly I’m not at all shocked upon learning about an abusive husband and estranged daughter, who gives us much insight about their family life in this.

In What Happened, Miss Simone, I see an artist much more commanding in front of an audience whereas Josephine Baker who came before her in the 20s and 30s. Having said that, I support any artist that insists on the audience being quiet when she’s performing for them. Basics!

It would have been great to learn about the family who we last heard about as moving to Philadelphia to be with her as she started earning a living to support them. It was enlightening to know the back story of how all of those iconic songs became a soundtrack to the civil rights movement. I will be hearing them with a new outlook now.

7/10