Not only the man was one of the greatest rock n'roll artists of all time, a voice of a generation and inspiration for many groups and artists to come, but the great Lou Reed even had time to direct one film, short in time but larger in content and importance. Here he interviews his cousin on the eve of her 100th birthday, a lady that goes by the name of Shirley Novick and she has plenty of life stories to share, much to Reed's amazement. Her story could give a great movie: born in Poland, she witnessed and survived through World War I; then fled to live alone in Canada (her parents stayed in Europe during World War II but sent her to Canada while her sisters were sent to Israel); from there she illegally immigrated to the U.S. to work on a textile factory in which she stayed for more than 40 years, engaging in union struggles for better work conditions. And she even was part of the Civil Rights March on Washington in 1963.
It's a small yet important historical register of a great person who went through many things, lived long enough to share in completely lucidity and vivacity her stories of struggle and survival, someone who lived plenty. And I'm glad Lou made such a nice picture. Don't be surprised, he's a good director and a patient interviewer. Doesn't stay focused just on the talking head documentary style, he also focus on Shirley's objects and old pictures showing what's left of her trajectory, such as a cushion she knitted herself, one of her few belongings from her early life in Europe. Truly memorable. 10/10
