Lisa Cortes (‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ director) on music icon’s unrecognized contributions to culture: ‘It is a film about erasure’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
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“Little Richard‘s music is infectious,” says Lisa Cortes, director of the documentary “Little Richard: I Am Everything” from Magnolia Pictures. “His story is so intriguing. There are many facets to his contribution to the foundation of rock ‘n’ roll that people don’t know. I think we all hold this image of this person who was a caricature, who was telling people to ‘shut up.’ We didn’t understand what was underlying there — his pain or lack of recognition. It is a film that is talking about erasure.”
We talked with Cortes as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&A event with 2023/2024 documentary film awards contenders. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
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The documentary tells the complete story of a one-of-a-kind rock ‘n’ roll legend who shaped the world of music. “Little Richard’s passing in the Spring of 2020 really became a beacon to explore not only what made him such an incredible icon, but also the cultural landscape he existed in and, in many ways, was such a tremendous force for change,” Cortes says.
While describing Richard’s life as a “roller coaster,” the director says what surprised her the most was discovering the entertainer’s time as Princess Lavonne. “He is not only taken in by a queer bar in Macon, in the 1940s…the next part is Princess Lavonne, the character that Little Richard takes on when he performs in drag. That part of his story intersects with a greater drag history and speaks to this idea that Americans are not as conservative as many people would like to tell us we are. There have always been spaces for Little Richard, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, for queer people to contribute and to be part of the rich cultural texture of our country.”
“Little Richard: I Am Everything” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was nominated for Best Music Documentary at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
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