Documentary directed by Sophie Fiennes.

Filmed over 10 years this documentary collaboration was well worth the wait. It’s a gritty, candid view of a woman who has until now been careful to present herself as a work of art. This film shows more of the inside of Grace Jones, beneath the veneer. She shared during the Q&A that she has always struggled with being a slave to vanity and that this documentary was an opportunity to show herself inside out vs outside in.

Sophie Fiennes had met Grace over 10 year ago when she was filming a documentary about Grace’s brother, Bishop Noel Jones, called the Hoover Street Revival.  It was during this meeting that they hatched a plan to do this documentary. Apparently it was Grace who would call Sophie up periodically to invite her to film footage, for instance, at the Jones family reunion in Jamaica, in the studio and on tour and Sophie always had a bag packed ready for the call. There was talk of a follow up film because there is apparently a who lot more unused footage.

The doc is a hodge podge of tour footage, Jamaica, studio rehearsals and more, but the songs that are selected for the film are personal ones. Will not spoil that element but the songs are part of the story telling. She’s had an interesting life.

What I found most surprising about Miss Jones is that she is quite self deprecating and she has a dry raunchy sense of humour. Do not get the wrong idea, this woman is still bad ass, but she is a lot more human than the persona that has illuminated over the past 50 years.

It was a real treat to attend the premier and hear Sophie and Grace speak after the film. No better way to kick off TIFF 2017!