Donna Summer Documentary, 'Love To Love You,' Coming in May 2023

From BestClassicBands.com-

The “Queen of Disco,” Donna Summer, is the subject of a new documentary coming in May 2023. The film, Love To Love You, Donna Summer, from HBO Documentary Films, is directed by Oscar® and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams [Life Animated, HBO’s The Apollo] and Summer’s daughter, Brooklyn Sudano. Described as an “unexpected and intimate portrait,” the documentary will have its theatrical world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. It will then have its television debut in May on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max. An advance clip is not yet available.

Summer was in the right place at the right time when she teamed with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and had her first hit with the erotic international smash, “Love to Love You Baby,” in 1975 for Neil Bogart’s Casablanca Records. The full, moaning 17-minute version of the title track took up the entire first side of the album. After a few missteps, she returned to the top of the charts with “I Feel Love.” More hits arrived in subsequent years: “Last Dance,” her shocking cover of the Jimmy Webb song, “MacArthur Park,” and “Heaven Knows.”

When the disco diva’s the two-LP set, Bad Girls, was released on April 25, 1979, the only surprise was why it took nearly two months to reach #1, which it did for the first of six weeks on June 16. Its three humongous pop and dance floor hits include the great #2 “Dim All the Lights” and a pair of #1s: the title track and “Hot Stuff.”


From the Feb. 3 announcement: Shaped by Summer’s own reflections, the memories of close family, friends and colleagues, and filled with the sounds of Summer’s songs, Love To Love You, Donna Summer is an in-depth look at the iconic artist as she creates music that takes her from the avant-garde music scene in Germany, to the glitter and bright lights of dance clubs in New York, to worldwide acclaim, her voice and artistry becoming the defining soundtrack of an era. A deeply personal portrait of Summer on and off the stage, the film features a wealth of photographs and never-before-seen home video footage – often shot by Summer herself – and provides a rich window into the surprising range of her artistry, from songwriting to painting, while exploring the highs and lows of a life lived on the global stage.



Summer died on May 17, 2012, of lung cancer, at just 63.

I look forward, ME. Donna was a ... complicated ... figure but her work was always, in its way, ground-breaking. I hope things are good for you!

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Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

From BestClassicBands.com-

The “Queen of Disco,” Donna Summer, is the subject of a new documentary coming in May 2023. The film, Love To Love You, Donna Summer, from HBO Documentary Films, is directed by Oscar® and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams [Life Animated, HBO’s The Apollo] and Summer’s daughter, Brooklyn Sudano. Described as an “unexpected and intimate portrait,” the documentary will have its theatrical world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. It will then have its television debut in May on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max. An advance clip is not yet available.

Summer was in the right place at the right time when she teamed with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and had her first hit with the erotic international smash, “Love to Love You Baby,” in 1975 for Neil Bogart’s Casablanca Records. The full, moaning 17-minute version of the title track took up the entire first side of the album. After a few missteps, she returned to the top of the charts with “I Feel Love.” More hits arrived in subsequent years: “Last Dance,” her shocking cover of the Jimmy Webb song, “MacArthur Park,” and “Heaven Knows.”

When the disco diva’s the two-LP set, Bad Girls, was released on April 25, 1979, the only surprise was why it took nearly two months to reach #1, which it did for the first of six weeks on June 16. Its three humongous pop and dance floor hits include the great #2 “Dim All the Lights” and a pair of #1s: the title track and “Hot Stuff.”


From the Feb. 3 announcement: Shaped by Summer’s own reflections, the memories of close family, friends and colleagues, and filled with the sounds of Summer’s songs, Love To Love You, Donna Summer is an in-depth look at the iconic artist as she creates music that takes her from the avant-garde music scene in Germany, to the glitter and bright lights of dance clubs in New York, to worldwide acclaim, her voice and artistry becoming the defining soundtrack of an era. A deeply personal portrait of Summer on and off the stage, the film features a wealth of photographs and never-before-seen home video footage – often shot by Summer herself – and provides a rich window into the surprising range of her artistry, from songwriting to painting, while exploring the highs and lows of a life lived on the global stage.



Summer died on May 17, 2012, of lung cancer, at just 63.

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I am looking forward to this. Such an underrated vocalist, and a very nice person too.

I had seen the news regarding this doc on the Donna Summer fan site and was very excited to see that it's already premiering at the Berlin film festival this month. I didn't realize it will already be coming to HBO Max in May...so soon! Thanks Motown Eddie. Can't wait!

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Originally Posted by Bluebrock

I am looking forward to this. Such an underrated vocalist, and a very nice person too.

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Hey BB, I hope you are doing well. I've heard varying accounts of Donna. A musician who once worked with her several times did not like her, he commented that she was imperious at times and "phony" nice at others. I also know a vendor who provided services to her over several years, and he said she was kind and thoughtful.

On the "nice" scale from Dame Shirley Bassey to Marilyn McCoo where would you place Donna?

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Originally Posted by Guy

Hey BB, I hope you are doing well. I've heard varying accounts of Donna. A musician who once worked with her several times did not like her, he commented that she was imperious at times and "phony" nice at others. I also know a vendor who provided services to her over several years, and he said she was kind and thoughtful.

On the "nice" scale from Dame Shirley Bassey to Marilyn McCoo where would you place Donna?

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Hi Guy. I met Donna Summer twice. The first time was in the late 80's when she toured the UK. She was past her commercial peak by this time but was still scoring hits in the UK. I found her to be a warm and engaging lady and it was a pleasure to be in her company. The 2nd time i met her was at the Divas 2000 recording and once again i found her to be a really nice down to earth lady. I do not think she was to blame for the turmoil surrounding the ill fated Divas recording. I really don't, and i am going to leave it at that.
I have never met Marilyn so i cannot comment on how nice she may or may not be, but many people hold her in very high regard, and so based upon my "experiences" with Dame Shirley i would have to say i would place her very closely to Marilyn, and far far away from Dame Shirley.
I hope i have answered your question without potentially starting WW3.
Best wishes to you and yours.

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Originally Posted by Guy

On the "nice" scale from Dame Shirley Bassey to Marilyn McCoo where would you place Donna?

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LOL I love your scaling system, Guy.

I never had the pleasure of meeting her...but I did send her fan mail and a photo for an autograph request, years ago, just after her last album Crayons was released. She sent my photo back to me signed, "Love to love you Carlo, Donna Summer". It also came with a printed letter, on her office's letterhead, apologizing for the delay in her response. It explained that she likes to personally read and respond to her own fan mail and only gets an opportunity to do so, when she's not on the road and when her schedule permits.

Dame Shirley also signed and returned a photo for me, years ago. I know it's her legit signature.

Gotta love artists who take the time to appreciate their fans.

Thanks for sharing your memories of Donna, Bluebrock. I have never heard any diva stories about her, so to read that she was lovely and kind to you, is not a surprise to me.

If she was ever unkind to someone, maybe it was out of frustration, in a professional/working capacity.

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Originally Posted by Bluebrock

I hope i have answered your question without potentially starting WW3.
Best wishes to you and yours.

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LMAO!!! You have indeed, BB! As always, your willingness to share, and your candor, are greatly appreciated.

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Originally Posted by carlo

...but I did send her fan mail and a photo for an autograph request, years ago, just after her last album Crayons was released. She sent my photo back to me signed, "Love to love you Carlo, Donna Summer". It also came with a printed letter, on her office's letterhead, apologizing for the delay in her response. It explained that she likes to personally read and respond to her own fan mail and only gets an opportunity to do so, when she's not on the road and when her schedule permits.

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Thanks for sharing that, Carlo. It is pleasantly surprising that at that stage of her life and career Donna still took time to personally read and respond to fan mail.

Bumping this thread back up to the top, as a reminder that this documentary premieres tonight on HBO Max. I am currently watching...

Just finished watching the doc. It left me feeling sad and wishing that Donna was still with us, as I think this documentary could have been so much more, if she had been directly involved. Having been a fan of hers for years, I already knew most of what was covered in this documentary. The highlight for me was seeing a lot of the archival/rare footage featured throughout. I felt that the quality of this documentary, as a whole, did not measure up to some of the more recent ones, like the Tina Turner doc.

Also, considering what a major player Georgio Moroder was in Donna's career, I was surprised he did not get more interview time. This documentary featured more on Donna the superstar and the different facets of her as a woman, and her challenges, versus the making of the music. It was interesting and sad to hear her family speak of her final days, as I had never heard them discuss Donna's illness until now. I was also glad to hear them discuss the 'anti-gay controversy' and how it had impacted her. The doc did give me some new insights into her life. It wasn't a terrible documentary, but perhaps I had set my hopes too high for it. It felt a little slow at times. There were a lot of audio clips of Donna throughout, which allowed her to tell her own story. I think if she were still with us, she would have been able to give more details and insights on different periods of her life and career.

On a different note, I was reading on one of the fan forums today that one of Donna's musical collaborators has a lot of studio recordings that he and Donna did together, up until before she passed. He is working on putting them together, and plans to release an album.

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Originally Posted by carlo

Just finished watching the doc. It left me feeling sad and wishing that Donna was still with us, as I think this documentary could have been so much more, if she had been directly involved. Having been a fan of hers for years, I already knew most of what was covered in this documentary. The highlight for me was seeing a lot of the archival/rare footage featured throughout. I felt that this documentary as a whole did not measure up to some of the more recent ones, like the Tina Turner doc. It felt a bit fluffy. I would say it's more for hardcore fans.

Also, considering what a major player Georgio Moroder was in Donna's career, I was surprised he did not get more interview time. This documentary featured more on Donna the superstar and the different facets of her as a woman, and her challenges, versus the making of the music. It was interesting and sad to hear her family speak of her final days, as I had never heard them discuss Donna's illness until now. The doc did give me some new insights into her life. It wasn't a terrible documentary, but perhaps I had set my hopes too high for it.

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You and I must be sharing a brain. :)

I just finished watching Donna's documentary and though I enjoyed it, I still felt there was something missing. I would have liked to see the actual interviewees. Also, I think more could have been given to her split with Casablanca. On the plus side, there was a lot of footage that I've never seen before so that was a nice touch.

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Originally Posted by reese

You and I must be sharing a brain. :)

I just finished watching Donna's documentary and though I enjoyed it, I still felt there was something missing. I would have liked to see the actual interviewees. Also, I think more could have been given to her split with Casablanca. On the plus side, there was a lot of footage that I've never seen before so that was a nice touch.

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Hehe!

Yes, I definitely felt it was missing something as well. My partner made the same comment as you, Reese...which was that it would have been good to see the interviewees on screen. I'm not sure if they purposely only featured audio of the interviewees because they wanted to devote more time to showing the rare footage of her, or if it was because they completed this during covid and it created issues with being able to film people in person...or if they were just trying to be thrifty? As even some of the more recent interviews done with Donna's daughters and family, sounded like they were recorded via phone conversations at times. That didn't lend itself to very good audio quality. Odd...

Yeah, they really glossed over her leaving Casblanca and barely anything was mentioned about her Geffen years. They made it seem like She Works Hard For the Money was a Geffen record. I think that should have been clarified.

Also, no discussion about her long absence from music, throughout most of the 90s and 2000s.

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Originally Posted by carlo

Hehe!

Yes, I definitely felt it was missing something as well. My partner made the same comment as you, Reese...which was that it would have been good to see the interviewees on screen. I'm not sure if they purposely only featured audio of the interviewees because they wanted to devote more time to showing the rare footage of her, or if it was because they completed this during covid and it created issues with being able to film people in person...or if they were just trying to be thrifty? As even some of the more recent interviews done with Donna's daughters and family, sounded like they were recorded via phone conversations at times. That didn't lend itself to very good audio quality. Odd...

Yeah, they really glossed over her leaving Casblanca and barely anything was mentioned about her Geffen years. They made it seem like She Works Hard For the Money was a Geffen record. I think that should have been clarified.

Also, no discussion about her long absence from music, throughout most of the 90s and 2000s.

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I didn't think about Covid possibly affecting the interview process although it seemed like a stylistic choice.

I know they couldn't include everything. But I also found it strange that there was no mention of THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY or of the SUMMER musical that made it to Broadway, albeit briefly. They also didn't touch on how successful her artwork was. I recall reading some of her paintings sold for a pretty penny.

But the great rare photos and footage [[especially the performance from HAIR) sort of made up for it. It is nice to see our entertainers get this type of treatment. In Donna's case, it is just sad that she isn't around to see it.

Just watched the Donna Summer documentary and I totally enjoyed it. While I agree with the others that on-camera interviews with her family would've been great, the doc made up for it by giving me new insights about Donna's life, including footage from her concerts and the 'home movies' that Donna she made with her family. Also, there should've been more about her career from the '80s [like how she dealt with the disco backlash and the move from Casablanca to Geffen Records]. And of course, it's bittersweet that Donna herself isn't here to participate in or to see the documentary.

Is there any mention of Donna being in NYC when terrorists downed the Twin Towers and her breathing in those toxic fumes ??

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Originally Posted by Boogiedown

Is there any mention of Donna being in NYC when terrorists downed the Twin Towers and her breathing in those toxic fumes ??

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Nope; no mention of the 9/11 Attacks or of Donna Summer's time living in downtown Manhattan at that time are mentioned in the Documentary.

I saw this last night and found it to be incredibly moving and nostalgia-inducing, if [like @carlo and @reese] frustratingly evasive at times. My main gripe was that the film treated her discography like so much background music with very little in-depth discussion of the work. Not only was TGIF not covered, but neither was her Oscar win for it! And Pete Bellotte’s name was never uttered at all, for crying out loud. Major songs omitted—“Heaven Knows,” “Love Is Control [Finger on the Trigger],” “This Time I Know It’s for Real.” I also wish that they would have touched upon what a radical stylistic departure THE WANDERER album was for her.

But overall kudos to the directors for shining a light on her personal struggles, insecurities and family life. The home movies and behind-the-scenes clips were absolutely priceless—she was such a quirky, funny lady! Brought me to tears several times.

Watched it last: I might be wrong but Pete Bellotte was seen and mentioned in a studio clip sitting with Giorio Moroder I think.
Nice to see part of the dutch clip of The Hostage, her first big hit in Holland, at the Sjef van Oekel [[comedy) show.
Her daughter Brooklyn was one of the directors of the docu.

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Originally Posted by jack020

Watched it last: I might be wrong but Pete Bellotte was seen and mentioned in a studio clip sitting with Giorio Moroder I think.

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Ah, good eyes and ears! I'll have to watch and listen for him next time. Thanks for that, jack020.

New Interview with Donna Summer's Daughter & Producer Roger Ross Williams talk about about the Love To Love You Donna documentary from ABC News.

https://youtu.be/Re3fFB8CCLo

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Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

New Interview with Donna Summer's Daughter & Producer Roger Ross Williams talk about about the Love To Love You Donna documentary from ABC News.

https://youtu.be/Re3fFB8CCLo

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Good interview, and the project seems to be coming from the right place. Don't have HBO but somewhere down the line it'll turn up. Looking forward to it. The unseen footage especially.

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Did Bob Esty get included, mentioned, is he still with us? He's the mastermind behind some of her best stuff.... the ONCE UPON A TIME lp .....LAST DANCE

Bruce Sudano on the Donna Summer Documentary from UMusic.com-

“Anytime you take on that type of a project, yeah, it’s difficult and harrowing at times, but the satisfaction at the end is really a beautiful thing,” says the singer-songwriter, who with Summer and his fellow members of the band Brooklyn Dreams, co-wrote the two-million-selling title song for the best-selling album of her career, 1979’s Bad Girls, and “On My Honor” from the same set. “I feel so much gratitude for all the people that worked on it and cared so much, and took a vision that my daughter Brooklyn had. Roger [Ross Williams, her co-director] and her saw the same thing.

“We didn’t want to make a Wikipedia documentary,” he says of the film’s highly personal and intimate approach to telling the life and times of a woman who was so much more than a so-called “disco diva.” “It was like Brooklyn saying ‘Lots of people can do that, but only we can do this detailed story,’” notes Sudano.

Sometimes harrowing, but ultimately beautiful. Those are two of the adjectives that Bruce Sudano uses to describe the process of being involved in the new documentary about his late wife, Love To Love You, Donna Summer, now screening on HBO Max and co-directed by the couple’s daughter Brooklyn, about whom he feels nothing but pride.

“So there’ll be people that are frustrated for one reason or another, you can’t please everybody, but all you can do is your best and tell the story best way you can tell it with the tools that you have. I’m so proud of Brooklyn, because she did it. She bounced things off me, obviously, but she did the hard work, from zero to 100. It was impressive.”
The documentary has indeed won praise for its unique and personal insights into a widely-loved, but not always completely understood, figurehead of disco and pop music. It bravely opens a window onto her wider creativity, humor, and vulnerabilities, and Bruce has been delighted with the response.

“I went to a few of the screenings,” he says, “and [it’s great] just to sit in the back row and watch people fully engaged the whole time,” says Sudano. “Obviously the fans know everything and [say] ‘Why didn’t you say this, or this,’ but [some] of the assistants that work for the agency or the management, they’re like ‘I have a whole new respect for her, I had no idea.’

“Donna was so amazing, she was the most incredible person I ever knew on so many levels,” says Sudano, “and for me to be able to share just those special moments, where she talks about singing, or her art, or the difficulty of being a recording artist…you can see her mind working and how she interpreted things. Those are precious gems that I think will influence a lot of people for a long time.”

A native New Yorker, Sudano pinpoints the day that he and Summer met. “We don’t discuss it in the film, but I can give you the exact date, it was March 13, 1977. I was with my partners, Joe ‘Bean’ Esposito and Eddie Hokenson from Brooklyn Dreams, we were at Donna’s manager’s apartment on Benedict Canyon, Donna Munao, who grew up in the same neighbourhood [as me] in Brooklyn.

“Donna was going out for a driving lesson that day, in a two-seater Mercedes convertible that the record company had bought her,” he goes on. “We met, we started writing immediately, and basically we spent the next week together, just writing and hanging.

“The other point that we really tried to make with the documentary, was to say she was an artist on multiple levels,” stresses Sudano. “She had a great sense of melody, of poetry and lyric, she was an amazing painter, she could do unbelievable sketches and design her stage outfits. She was a very funny person, and she used her sense of humour frequently to break the spell, because her charisma was big and strong. If she walked in a room, you felt it, and she was aware of that. She would make the situation ‘Hey, I’m just a human like you are.’”

Eleven years after his wife’s untimely death from lung cancer at the age of 63, Sudano divides his time between Milan and Los Angeles, and will spend the summer in California preparing for the release of his next solo album, to be titled Talking Ugly Truth, Telling Pretty Lies and made with producer Ken Lewis. “I’m really excited about it, I think it’s the best record I’ve made to date,” he says.