At the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-1960s, teenage singer-songwriter Janis Ian’s hit song about an interracial relationship, “Society’s Child,” launched her illustrious career but also ignited controversy. Over the next six decades, Ian jammed with Jimi Hendrix, partied with Janis Joplin, and played duets with Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. But she also had to work to overcome the stigma of her debut, homophobia, record industry misogyny, and a life-threatening illness to produce an indelible body of work that continues to draw large audiences around the globe. With access to Ian’s incredible body of music, her vast archive, family, friends, famed collaborators, and music journalists, this in-depth documentary balances the intimacy of a home movie against a sweeping historical and contemporary context.

This screening will be followed by a tribute concert led by Kirsten Paludan presented in partnership with the Lawrence Music Alliance.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Musician/actress Kirsten Paludan has been performing in the regional music/theater scene for over 20 years. She currently fronts four bands and has been critically recognized for her ‘genre defying’ voice, garnering three nominations from the Pitch Weekly for Best Female Vocalist. Paludan has sung with Sheryl Crow and Alejandro Escovedo, among others, and performs her own compositions, country & western hits, musical theater, jazz, and modern classics with equal aplomb and dedication. As a songwriter/composer, she has released two full length albums and one EP and has helped score several films.