“If you’ve never heard of Dory Previn, prepare to be ashamed of yourself." – Rex Reed
Writing and singing the unvarnished truth about buried secret life experiences is more common today than when Dory Previn wrote brilliant, disturbing and darkly funny songs in the 1970s. She began as an Academy Award-nominated lyricist for Hollywood musicals with songs for Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Dionne Warwick, before a tabloid scandal and public breakdown led to her re-emergence as a cult artist
in the Laurel Canyon scene. The film draws on archives for its compelling story as J. Smith-Cameron (Succession) reads the voices in Dory’s head. Previn’s eloquent articulation of her relationship with her voices anticipates the burgeoning Hearing Voices and Mad Pride movements that are revolutionising how we now understand mental health.
Dirs. Julia Greenberg and Dianna Dilworth, US, 2024, 80 mins