Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings were on hand at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, September 11, to attend the world premiere of Miss Sharon Jones!, Barbara Kopples documentary about the New York City-based soul singers return to performing after a battle with stage-two pancreatic cancer.
The occasion was extra-special because Jones was seeing the film for the first time. Kopple, whose past films include Wild Man Blues and Dixie Chicks: Shut Up & Sing, introduced it by explaining that shed finished the film in a mad rush over August in time to premiere it at TIFF.
At the end of the movie, the audience was on its feet applauding. In an emotional moment, Jones took the stage surrounded by her band, management, caregivers and oncologist and announced that her cancer had returned. I start chemo on Wednesday, she told the crowd. But Im gonna keep fighting. Im gonna keep battling. Despite the upsetting news, the occasion felt like a joyous one, and after everyone heaped praise on Kopple (who is now the subject of Oscar buzz), Jones ended the evening with a rousing song. I sing because Im happy, she belted out. And I sing because Im free.
Jones wasnt the only cult musician at TIFF last weekend. Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, stood alongside filmmaker Amy Bergto introduce Janis: Little Girl Blue, a doc about 60s blues singer Janis Joplin. Marshall reads Joplins letters to her family throughout the film but was much harder to hear at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema thanks to a faulty mic. LOUDER! audience members yelled. Uh, Im shy, she responded sheepishly.
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