music
I Am a Noise : A Visual Memoir
THE MAKING OF THE JOAN BAEZ DOCUMENTARY FILM
S t o r y B y A n a s t a s i a S t a n m e y e r
P h o t o s C o u r t e s y O f J o a n B a e z / D i a m o n d s & R u s t
P r o d u c t i o n s
IT BEGAN WITH FILMING what would be Joan Baez ’ s final concert tour — and then they “ took a left ,” as she puts it , when the directors opened the door to her storage unit filled with her family ’ s archives and parts of her life that had never before been seen or long been forgotten . Weaving a style of filmmaking known as cinéma vérité with Joan ’ s personal archives , this legendary folk singer ’ s inner and outer worlds are explored in the movie I Am a Noise .
There will be a special screening of the documentary film on March 2 at the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington . The movie premiered a year ago at the Berlin Film Festival , had its theatrical release at the Film Forum in October 2023 , and is now available on various streaming platforms . But what is exciting about this showing is not only that the movie will be on the big screen , but there will also be a talkback — with Joan herself and directors Karen O ’ Connor and Miri Navasky . It is a special fundraiser for the Triplex , which is owned by a community-formed nonprofit .
“ My family has a house in the area , so I ’ ve been coming to Great Barrington all my life and have seen many movies at the Triplex ,” says Miri . “ I ’ m thrilled to be able to support this important cultural institution .”
The name “ Joan Baez ” conjures up many images and sounds : her part in the Civil Rights Movement , her relationship with Bob Dylan , her soprano voice with a three-octave range , her hippie persona , her beauty and grace . She has inspired generations of women and human rights activists , sang " We Shall Overcome " at the March on Washington alongside Dr . Martin Luther King , Jr ., and even danced on stage with Taylor Swift and Julia Roberts in the middle of “ Style ” during Swift ’ s 1989 tour . Joan became a star at
age 18 at the Newport Folk Festival , and in 1962 , at 21 , she appeared on the cover of TIME .
Joan ’ s legacy film holds its fair share of surprises . On April 30 , she is releasing her first book of poetry , When You See My Mother , Ask Her to Dance . Joan has been writing poetry all her life , but this is the first time she has shared her works publicly . ( One of her poems , “ Goodbye to the Black and White Ball ,” is included here .)
A quote by Gabriel García Márquez begins I Am a Noise : “ Everyone has three lives : a public life , a private life , and a secret life .” In the course of the film , Joan battles what she describes as inner demons that began early on in her life . In the movie , Joan moves from a constant struggle to a place of acceptance , while always striving for a larger purpose in the world . It is a duality that she has always grappled with — this public persona , while at times internally paralyzed with anxiety , fear , and darkness . Still , that hasn ’ t stopped her from all she has accomplished .
Joan continues to be fiercely creative and committed , finding ways to stay involved and purposeful . That ’ s extraordinary at any age , let alone at 83 . We are moved by this movie to love Joan even more and hold hands with her , knowing that she is not alone in the secrets that she has held . We are thankful for the trio of directors — Miri , Karen , and Maeve O ’ Boyle — who sifted through thousands of archival material , hours of concert footage and interviews , to create a seamless and layered movie , the kind you want to share with your child so they can see what a legend looks like in human form .
“ Who is she ? Yes , there ’ s the iconic , well-known Joan , but this is a different film made with a different history and all of her complexities ,” says Karen . “ We