Nina Simone documentary opens Sundance

This year’s Sundance Film Festival has launched with a documentary about Nina Simone called ‘What Happened, Miss Simone?’ by Liz Garbus, the title coming from a quote by writer the late Maya Angelou. The film profiles Nina’s life from her beginnings as a classically trained pianist to her prolific jazz and blues output as well as her struggle with mental illness. She was passionately involved in the civil rights movement and recorded the song ‘Mississippi Goddamn’ after a Baptist Church bombing during the Selma-Montgomery march with Dr Martin Luther King. Born in North Carolina Nina was managed by her husband, a former policeman, who pushed worked her flat out during an abusive relationship.

Grammy Award winning singer / songwriter John Legend performed after the screening saying, ”I’m so grateful to be here today honouring the legacy of the wonderful, powerful, dynamic, super-talented Nina Simone,"

A seperate bio-pic called 'Nina' is also scheduled for release this year starring Zöe Saldana as Nina Simone.