Helmed by Alexis Spraic (Shadow Billionaire), The World According to Allee Willis is a documentary exploring the life of two-time Grammy-winning songwriter/artist Allee Willis. The documentary which world premiered at this year’s SXSW Festival, explores Willis’ struggle with her identity and societal pressure.
The documentary features interviews with notable figures such as Mark Cuban, Cyndi Lauper, Lily Tomlin, Paul Reubens, Michael Patrick King, Patti LaBelle, Pet Shop Boys, Pamela Adlon, Paul Feig, and Mark Mothersbaugh.
Release Date
Directed by Alexis Spraic and produced by Nicholas Coles, The World According To Allee Willis will open in NY, LA, and Detroit Theaters on November 15, 2024, before opening nationwide on November 19, 2024, and on digital on November 22, 2024.
Synopsis
Take one look at award-winning songwriter/artist Allee Willis, and you see someone unafraid to be themselves. Dressed in a cacophony of prints and colors, with her signature asymmetrical haircut and the famed parties at her real-life Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, Allee didn’t waste any opportunity to tell you what she was about. But privately, Allee struggled with not fitting established gender and sexual norms.
She buried herself in her work until true love manifested her ultimate masterpiece—self-acceptance.
Allee began filming her life in 1950s Detroit and never stopped. This film is the realization of her wish that her “final art piece be someone putting together the trail I have left behind.”
“Allee was incredibly prolific as an artist and creator and had even attempted to make her documentary herself. But at some point, her diary entries began to consciously address “the person reading this,” and so began our unusual posthumous collaboration,” said director Alexis Spraic. “She wanted the film to get “inside her head.” I was very interested to understand why she decided to entrust this project to someone else. She wrote that she feared losing her nerve and destroying everything before she died. Allee was not one to shy away from telling people about herself and her life. So, what was she afraid of?”
Reviews
Jourdain Searless in a Hollywood Reporter review praised the documentary, writing, “documentaries can often come off as by-the-numbers, taking us on a telegraphed emotional journey intended as a crowdpleaser. But every once in a while, there’s a subject who is so unique that their story elevates the formula. Allee Willis is one such subject, with a life story that’s energetic, colorful and invigorating to witness. Director Alexis Manya Spraic crafts a documentary that strives to be just as fascinating as its subject.”
Carla Renata in a The Curvy Film Critic review also praised the film, writing, “The World According to Allee Willis is a wonderful reminder to never allow fear to grind one’s creativity or zest for life to a halt while coming to the realization that allowing people to love you is great, but the self love showered can enrich one in ways unseen and unknown.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for The World According To Allie Willis.