User reviews

It's a self-reflective documentary on the life of Joan Baez set in the context of her "farewell" tour of 2018-2019.

Baez's tour, which included her son, Gabriel Harris, sets the frame for the documentary. The rest follows, more or less chronologically, her life from age 13 through the era of her greatest fame and political activism in the 1960s into the 1990s. The documentary uses home movies, insights from tapes of her therapy sessions in the 1990s, and news clips of some of her political activities.

She only names three relationships in the movie--an early relationship with a woman named Kimmie, Bob Dylan, and David Harris. But her greatest focus is on her family--her Mexican father, Albert; mother, Joan; older sister, Pauline; and younger sister, Mimi. She describes the roots of her pacifism in the family's Quakerism. She especially probes the psychological issues she and Mimi experienced.

"Joan Baez: I am a Noise" seems remarkably honest but somewhat incomplete. A couple of decades are missing from the documentary without explanation. And a lot of things are hinted at but left unresolved. Her need to perform to the end left me wondering. But I'll forgive a lot; those of us who protested in the 1960s were all somewhat in love with Joan Baez.

Greetings again from the darkness. The often-barefooted Joan Baez absolutely built a legacy of activism and social consciousness through the civil rights movement, Vietnam protests, prison reform, environmental issues, and other causes, making her easy to admire. Her music made her rich and famous, and has left a mark and influenced many others This documentary was initially intended to cover her farewell tour in 2018 at age 78, and while it is structured around that tour, the three co-directors, Miri Navasky, Maeve O'Boyle, and Karen O'Connor, have ended up with an intimate look that covers more of Joan Baez the person, than Joan Baez the talented singer.

The film opens with a clip of a very young Joan performing. This is fitting because at age 18 she became an overnight sensation thanks to the Newport Festival and the cover of Time Magazine. Ms. Baez provides a great deal of personal insight for the film, and speaks to her three lives: a public life, a private life, and a secret life. The public life is Joan Baez the singer and activist. The private life is Joan's relationship with her sisters, Pauline and Mimi, and her secrets - too many of which are shared here - involve the therapy she has been involved with since she was 16 years old.

By 'too much', I am referring to the prolonged and detailed discussions about her mental illness, depression, and therapy sessions. In fact, the final product here feels like a therapy session for Joan. It's one thing to share the struggles in hopes that you can inspire others to get the help they need, but this one goes a step too far. Joan discusses the childhood abuse she and her sister "may" have suffered at the hands of her father. Mind you, she doesn't remember anything specific, but her therapist has made this scenario likely, so it has become a reality for Joan. While I fully support therapy, the idea of putting this on the table during this documentary is inexcusable to me.

Other segments are more befitting of the platform as Joan admits she was a bit lost after Vietnam because she no longer had a cause to support. Of course, the next few decades provided many opportunities for her, but the 'need a cause' comments provide insight into her persona ... as does the notebook she wrote at age 13 entitled, "What I Believe" ...an early indication that her observation skills were special. Hearing her speak of how Bob Dylan broke her heart is fascinating, especially as we note the painted portrait of him hanging over her piano - and the fact that she speaks of him frequently. She did meet her husband, journalist David Harris, while both were in jail, which has made for a fun story over the years, and we learn that their son Gabriel accompanied her on the final tour.

Somehow the filmmakers never mention Joan's performance at Woodstock, but we do get a clip of her presence at Martin Luther King's "Freedom" speech, and learn she was heavy into quaaludes for eight years. She discusses how being of half-Mexican descent impacted her life, and she's credited with leading the Peace Movement. The only issue with any of this is how deeply the film dives inside her head. Bringing her depression and mental struggles to the forefront is a valuable service, but dragging a deceased parent into this affects how we view Joan Baez and the film. Fare thee well, Joan. Fare thee well.

Opens in NYC theaters on October 6, 2023, and then other markets on October 13.

As "Joan Baez: I Am a Noise" (2023 release; 113 min) opens, Baez is singing "Oh Freedom" a cappella in footage from decade ago. We then go to the present, to Baez's home in California, where she talks into the camera about how fame at an early age affected her. She is working with a vocal coach in preparations of her 2018-19 "Fare Thee Well" (supposed farewell) world tour. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: the film makers in this documentary reflect on the life and times of Joan Baez, age 79 when this was filmed. But as it turns out, this is not your standard bio-pic. Of course it covers the familiar territory: Joan's family background, getting famous at an early age, her complicated relationship with both her sisters, her liaison with Bob Dylan, her involvement with the civil rights movement and later the anti-Vietnam peace movement, it all is covered. Then in the last 30 minutes, the documentary takes a sharp turn into a direction I did not see coming... I won't spoil of course, just watch! It makes for compelling viewing, that's for sure.

"Joan Baez: I Am a Noise" was released in US theaters in the Fall of 2023, and is now streaming on Hulu, where I saw it the other night. The documentary is currently rated 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which feels a little overly generous to me. I sought out the documentary after recently seeing the excellent Dylan bio-pic "A Complete Unknown", where Baez plays a central role. If you are a fan of either Joan Baez or Bob Dylan, I'd readily suggest you check out "Joan Baez: I Am a Noise", and draw your own conclusion.

A documentary on the folk music iconoclast from last year. Taking place during her farewell tour during 2018, Baez is interviewed & provides archival photos & film about her rise from a little girl who liked to sing & managed to parlay that love into a career in the burgeoning folk music scene. Chronicling the rivalry she had w/her sister (who embarked in her own career as a singer even though dance was her calling) & also the men in her life which included Bob Dylan (who was at the beginning of his career) & a freedom fighter for change who was jailed for a spell, Baez manages to carve out a niche for herself by doing her own thing for many years singing her songs & even becoming a staple in the civil rights movement as she was at Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech in Washington DC in 1963 & even arrested herself for taking a stand. Always keeping an upbeat eye to her role in her own career (her one misstep, in her opinion, was her appearance at an Amnesty concert in the 1980's she participated in where we see her perform Tears for Fears' "Shout") where she still packs in the audiences who appreciated what she has always done.

Joan Baez I am a Noise was enthusiastically received at its North American Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film appears to start out as a tour film of Baez last tour in 2018 at age 78. But it really becomes and incredibly honest and intimate behind-the-scenes examination of her life as well as her music. She shares intimate details of her relationship with Bob Dylan and her husband David Harris. But really the focus in more on her and her struggles with depression and anxiety - subjects that are often hidden from public view. There was clearly a lot of darkness behind her beautiful voice. Some of the parts of the film related to the dysfunction in her family are deeply disturbing. The film also journeys through the connections between her music and her political activism.

The showing was greatly enhanced by Baez's presence at the end of the premiere in which she was enthusiastically welcomed. Clearly, she is a transcendent figure whose music has influenced generations. The film is a powerful record of her life. I also hope that it will give those suffering from mental illness more space to speak about their struggles. Highly recommended for fans as well as those who don't know much about her.

Another reviewer discusses this under "TMI", and I'm not sure other reviewers understand the issue, unfortunately I know far too many who do. To put a topical spin on this, I'm going to mention the "Satanic Panic" referenced in the last "Stranger Things" series. The panic that Dungeons and Dragons was introducing children to witchcraft and Satanic ritual was only the start. There was another converging phenomenon, of therapists recovering memories of their patients' childhood under hypnosis. It would start with sexual abuse, but there were also several extreme cases where therapists continued hypnosis sessions until the patients started remembering being part of Satanic rituals as children, where other children were sacrificed in Black Masses. This became part of several lawsuits and unfortunately not all the parents were declared innocent right away. There was several years of recovering their reputations as well as having sentences overturned. However sad, there were also many cases that did not rise to such extremes. These were later categorized under "False Memory Syndrome". The therapists were very motivated to find reasons for patients adult dysfunctions in childhood, the patients eager to please therapists and have them solve all their psychological problems. The two motives converge and patients start vaguely remembering abuse, even without hypnotism these false memories can bubble up. And, of course, the patient is alienated from parents, and has to turn to their therapist, and the mental health system generally as kind of "substitute parents". The power rush for the therapist is intense, the patient turns to them for replacing the parent figures who have problably been with them their whole life. This is a serious problem, that continues to go on, in a country that has a generally substandard mental health care system, with many substandard therapists and inadequate therapist education. Does Joan have one of these therapists? Is she being misled about her parents? There's no way of knowing from this documentary, or probably any documentary. Is it a real problem that under-recognized? Absolutely. Tragically.

Joan Baez has spent over six decades as one of the major figures in music, first coming to prominence as part of the folk revival, and writing a number of protest songs over the years. It was inevitable that Baez would get a documentary. "Joan Baez: I Am a Noise" chronicles her music career and her activism, as well as something that most people probably didn't know about: possible sexual assault during her childhood.

I don't know if I would call this the greatest documentary ever, but it was an eye-opening experience to learn so much about a woman whom we mainly know for her songs. I would've liked to see a clip of her performance at Woodstock.

Overall, I liked what the documentary had to say about this icon. I recommend it.

An honest and thought-provoking documentary about a woman with an incredible life. The tender honesty displayed throughout the film shows the difficulties of a young woman who became famous at too young an age and the later self-reflection and examination that helped her to begin healing.

We all should be so lucky to have our lives chronicled with such tenderness and wisdom and brilliance. This is an Oscar-worthy film and should definitely be nominated for best documentary. My husband and I are still talking about it all day today.

Her family issues. The fame that probably brought her stress and trauma. Her activism. Joan Baez is an icon and an inspiration.

Even at the age of 79, she has "promises to keep in miles to go before she sleeps."

A very informative and influential woman, who through the years persevered as well as entertained the country. A strong civil rights activist with amazing talent in music and arts. The beauty and grace she shows throughout the years is reflected in this amazing documentary. A life that spans eight decades and was faced with praise and adversity. From the beginning to the end, an entertaining and insightful look at her life. From triumphs to sadness and the will to forgive and to still show unconditional love. From Bob Dylan to Martin Luther King Jr, her compassion radiates throughout and you see what it was like for her. Incredible job by the filmmakers. A must see!

At Friday's premiere here in LA, where Joan and one of her three directors were interviewed, I couldn't stop wondering if the admiring throng of young people grasped (as her director put it at the end): she still stands for freedom and struggle, but it's been lifted to a different level.

This is not the illusion of candor, the gloss of self-serving authenticity, or a carefully curated story of personal growth. This is the real deal, based on journals, home movies, tape recordings, interviews, and private artwork.

Back in the day, did we realize we were lost in the fog of fame as well as the fog of war? With fresh cinematography and subtle narrative structure, "I Am a Noise" blows away a lot of fog at a lot of levels.

I Am a Noise is an in-depth portrait of Joan Baez's music career, political activism, and personal life. The strange title comes from what she wrote about herself as a young girl. Baez is remarkably insightful and honest about herself and her struggles with mental illness. Especially intense is her description of the family therapy she underwent, including excerpts from therapy tapes. I didn't give this excellent documentary a 10 because the therapy description went on too long for me.

This documentary is a must watch for serious and casual Joan Baez fans and I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to hear a beautiful voice and learn about a significant American artist and political activist.

This is unlike any documentary bio pic of a singer I have ever seen. From the way the filmmakers have layered the extraordinarily honest revelations that Joan Baez offers of herself with the startling reminders of her piercing soprano at age 28, and our own history as a country and the ways in which Joan Baez has linked her life to that history, the viewer is mesmerized. Within all that is the story of a family : a handsome and smart Quaker couple with three beautiful and talented daughters who both got along with each other; and did not; the story of whose accomodations with each other beg for another film.

"Joan Baez - I Am a Noise" is a poignant and intimate portrait of a legendary singer-activist.

This documentary offers a rare glimpse into the life of Joan Baez, beyond the iconic image of a folk music legend. It delves deep into her personal archives, revealing a complex and multifaceted individual.

Baez's vulnerability shines through as she opens up about her struggles and triumphs.

The film offers a unique perspective on her life, from her early days to her later years.

The documentary seamlessly weaves together archival footage, interviews, and personal reflections.

While the film covers many aspects of Baez's life, some may have wished for more depth in certain areas.

"Joan Baez - I Am a Noise" is a must-watch for fans of Joan Baez and anyone interested in music and activism. It's a beautifully crafted documentary that pays tribute to a true icon.

This biopic is the final episode not only of a career which spanned six decades ,but also of her own book "and a voice to sing with" ,released in 1987 ,along with her come back album,the excellent "recently "; in her memoirs,she depicted her diseases : stomach aches, anguish ,resort to valium and other drugs, ; the reader thought it was stage fright , the pressure or the impossibility of living a normal family life ;she painted a flattering portrait of her father, physicist Albert Baez ,as opposed to President Reagan's reactionary side ; chapters are devoted to both sisters and "Big Joan" ; she also reveals her gay affair with a girl named Kim(mie); but the members of her family were still alive when the book was released,and even though she was conscious of a traumatic past ,self-censorship made itself felt .

The center of the movie is given over to facts that have already been digested by her admirers : the rise to fame in the early sixties, the TIme cover, the unwashed phenomenon (even in accoustic ,Dylan was extremely strong:his live "only a pawn in their game" surpasses by far the studio version),sister Mimi and her short-lived marriage to Richard Farina, the civil rights and Martin Luther King; the draft resistance during the Vietnam war and her meeting with activist David Harris, six years her junior ; Harris ,now deceased , used to urge the youth to burn their draft card while his wife was singing "sweet low ,sweet chariot" ... Their son ,Gabriel ,present in the movie, complained that her mom was not always here when he was a kid but he grew up to become a percussionist and followed her on stage during her tours ; in " a voice to sing with" , Baez recalls that Dylan wanted the Rolling Thunder Review to go on forever but she wanted her house,her garden (we see it in the movie)and her son -who reportedly enjoyed the RTR ,and so did his mom having fun on the coach (try to spot Roger McGuinn); she said that her best album/song (the famous "diamonds and rust" )came from that period (1975)

The movie begins with amateur movies and photographs which show the perfect family ,dad, mom,and the three girls ;it ends on a less optimistic note ;her psychotherapy ,including hypnotism reveals a serious psychological traumatism :her father would have abused her and her sister Mimi,which might explain her stomach aches ;her accused father talked about a "false memory syndrome" ;"if only 20% of that actually happened ,it's enough" , Baez says.

A lot of footage in France ,where Baez is an icon; too end on a funny note , a French reporter told her what her surname phonetically means in the French language (F.........) :she roared with laughter (this is not in the biopic,mind you) ; she has always had a good sense of humor..