The daily beast
How Tina Turner paved the way for Beyoncé
HBO After six decades of entertainment, Tina Turner has had more than enough in the spotlight. The croaking singer achieved her goal of becoming a rock and roll superstar who could sell out stadiums and arenas around the world, but she just seemed unable to get past mainstream media and the public’s desire to get herself constantly preoccupied with her past, the 81-year-old gymnast is still trying to clear away the remains of this trauma that she has experienced all of her life. Her HBO documentary Tina, which premieres on March 27, is the veteran entertainer’s official encore for her beloved fans as she closes the curtain on the deal for good. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers TJ Martin and Daniel Lindsay, Tina lasts approximately two hours, narrated in five acts, narrating her journey from Chitlin’s Circuit R&B chanteuse to the horrific physical and physical by her first husband and associate Ike Turner had experienced emotional abuse, to a Grammy-winning Guinness world record holder for her electrifying concert tours The music document explores the legacy behind singles like “What love has to do with it”, “Better be good to me”, “We don’t need another hero ( Thunderdome) “,” Typical Man “,” The Best “and” I Don’t Wanna Fight “who resisted an openly racist, sexist and ageist music business in the 1980s in order to achieve commercial success in the MTV era. “She gave us her honesty and vulnerability to reveal such things to us,” says Lindsay. “Tina has a much more complicated, very different relationship to her own narrative than we do as the public. The public saw her as a survivor and a symbol of strength and resilience, but just talking about this time in her life could evoke dreams where it feels so real to them as if it was the first time it happened. “What Makes Aretha Franklin a Genius? Let Suzan-Lori Parks explain Lindsay and Martin didn’t want Tina to be a sensational synopsis. The Emmy-winning documentary filmmakers decided instead to tell a complex story that jumps and crawls between candid interviews with Turner from their lavish Swiss estate, headlining teardrop leaves, interview sound bits, flashback sequence dissolving, and never-before-seen live performances That captures the Nutbush, the electrifying stage personality of Tennessee-born Anna Mae Bullock and her dedication to her craft. Home videos show Turner’s life offstage as a mother of four sons and a practicing Buddhist battling major depression, suicide attempts, and problems with the task of feeling creatively oppressed by Ike’s smug, drug-induced musical direction and persistent bouts of PTSD: “We wanted one Creating experiences for people ”, offers Martin, also Tina’s co-editor. “It affects the idea of not being afraid to lean into the film about some of the truths and hardships that people face. If you don’t deal with stories honestly and honestly, you are doing the subject and the audience a disservice. “Lindsay and Martin went through the” Hundreds of Hours of Footage and Over 4,000-5,000 Images “by photographer Bob Gruen to build the story of Turner’s insightful People magazine cover story by journalist Carl Arrington, published December 1981. Tina features Oprah Winfrey, Turner’s former manager Roger Davies, music journalist Kurt Loder, actress Angela Bassett, playwright Katori Hall, songwriter Terry Britten, the touring staff, and Turner’s current husband, music manager Erwin Bach. When Lindsay and Martin Turner first met in 2019, they flew to their property in Zurich for the first of numerous trips. The author of I, Tina wrote her second memoir, That’s My Life, and a self-help book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life Forever, due for publication the following year. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame newcomer also had a Broadway production, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Turner, currently nominated as a solo artist at Rock Hall, wondered what the directors of Lost Cup and Undefeated could possibly make a feature-length documentary about since their 1993 biopic with Bassett, What Love Got To Do With It has been a blockbuster hit. Lindsay and Martin told Turner that they wanted Tina to add more visual nuances to what fans already knew about their personal lives. The couple wanted to introduce younger generations to their electrifying stage presence, which was light years ahead of Beyoncé: “Our process is always to approach things from a place of real curiosity and empathy,” claims Lindsay. “We were very open with her about what we’re really interested in.” “When we started thinking about the story and breaking it down, the movie’s visual grammar made more sense to us. After digging a little more into the epic circumstances of their ongoing narrative, we knew we could make a real movie, ”adds Martin. Tina’s production was a moment of the circle for Martin, who was born in Seattle. As a small child in the early 80s, he accompanied his mother, a black singer in a punk band. His mother, who happened to be called Tina, went on stage in leather skirts, makeup, and spiky hair, much like recording artist Private Dancer and Break Every Rule. “Men hit her and said, ‘Hey, Tina Turner! ‘“, Remembers Martin. “It was powerful because Tina Turner was the only woman of color you could call a rock artist, and I wondered who Tina Turner was.” The coronavirus pandemic disrupted Tina’s production schedule, but Lindsay and Martin continued to work on the film from their homes. The numerous protests and demonstrations against the brutality of the police against unarmed black and brown people rekindled interest in their unwavering documentary about the riots after Rodney King in LA 92. Lindsay and Martin conducted additional press interviews for LA 92 while Tina was in office – Production. “It’s always a journey when the world is in real time in the mirror,” explains Martin. “We’ve been naturally drawn in two directions because half the reason we make films is to create a space where the world can look at itself, hopefully in an honest way.” HBO Tina celebrated its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this month. It is the first time in the filmmaker’s career that they missed the audience’s reaction on the opening night. “This is what you are looking for the most,” confirms Martin. “It opens your eyes to understand your movie better when you see it through other people’s eyes, and we just didn’t get that opportunity. All of this is still a shock and a surprise to us. “Tina does not go into the music legend’s recent struggles with stroke, kidney failure, colon cancer and her son Craig’s suicide. It highlights her love story and marriage to Bach. Lindsay and Martin hope that Tina will vividly show how incredible a show woman gymnast is and how her trials and difficulties can lead people to change their lives where necessary. “We need survivors to come forward and tell their story so that other people living under these circumstances know that they are not alone,” says Lindsay. “I hope people see this movie and get recognition for how amazing Tina Turner is as a actress. She is one in a million. “The decision to survive is an ongoing process that is made every day,” concludes Martin. “It’s a journey of its own. As we continue to celebrate people who have experienced some truly traumatic events in their lives, it is the courage to make ourselves vulnerable to tell their story that we remember, to remember the person at the center. It’s not just something you can get over. “Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside delves deeper into the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
