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Janis Ian: Breaking Silence (2025)

Name: Janis Ian: Breaking Silence
Genre: History, Documentary, Music
Released: 2024-08-08
Rating: 80
Cast: Janis Ian, Joan Baez, Jean Smart, Laurie Metcalf, Lily Tomlin

Movie

Audience Score

NR Mar 28th, 2025History, Documentary, Music

In 1965, Janis Ian, a 14-year-old singer-songwriter from New Jersey, wrote “Society’s Child” about an interracial relationship. Recorded and released a year later, the song launched Ian's career, but its subject matter ignited controversy, even resulting in death threats. The fallout plunged Ian into an emotional tailspin–and yet a few years later she emerged from the ashes with an even bigger hit, “At Seventeen.” Over six decades, Janis Ian gained ten Grammy nominations in eight different categories, saw her song “Stars” recorded by such luminaries as Nina Simone and Cher, and overcame homophobia, misogyny, and a life-threatening illness to produce an indelible body of work that continues to draw audiences around the globe. Featuring Janis Ian, Joan Baez, Jean Smart, Arlo Guthrie, Lily Tomlin, and Tom Paxton, among other icons.

StarringJanis IanJoan BaezJean Smart

DirectorVarda Bar-Kar

WritersVarda Bar-KarPierre Hauser

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