Magnolia debuted the official trailer for Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg, a documentary portrait of the rock ‘n’ roller, actress, muse, and mother who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s after a chance encounter with the Rolling Stones.

Scarlett Johansson voices Anita (based on the words of her unpublished memoir) and the film includes her children, Marlon and Angela Richards, and their father, Keith Richards.

Release Date

Directed by Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill, Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg world premiered at 2023 Cannes Film Festival and opens in theaters and on VOD on May 3, 2024.

Synopsis

Anita Pallenberg was at many points in her life a newspaper headline: a “rock n’ roll goddess,” a “voodoo priestess,” and an “evil seductress.” She was accused of trying to break up the Rolling Stones, among other things. But those who loved her considered her an exciting cultural force, and a loving mother – and innocent of the accusations. Never-seen-before home movies and family photographs explore life with the Rolling Stones and tell a bittersweet tale of both triumph and heartbreak. From Barbarella to the Swiss Alps, and the Lower East Side to London, Anita Pallenberg was a creative force ahead of her time.

Reviews

Deadline in their fascinating review wrote, “Much of the documentary is devoted to Anita’s lengthy if troubled relationship with Richards, which lasted from roughly 1967-1980. They had three kids together, including Marlon, Angela and Tara – a boy who died at only two months old of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Marlon and Angela appear in the film (Marlon is an EP), describing a chaotic childhood as dad left for work (meaning, touring around the world) and mom battled addiction to heroin, among other substances. Anita herself says, “I wanted to be a good mother, but it didn’t work.””

Variety review found the film dark, writing, “What’s the darkest moment you’ve ever seen in a rock ‘n’ roll documentary? Up until now, I’d have said the answer was obvious: the sequence in “Gimme Shelter” where Meredith Hunter, in his lime-green suit, rushes the stage at Altamont with a gun in his hand and gets stabbed in the back, half a dozen times, by a member of the Hell’s Angels. For pure heart of darkness, what could top that? But I’ve just seen “Catching Fire,” (formerly titled “Anita”) Svetlana Zill and Alexis Bloom’s very good documentary about Anita Pallenberg — beautiful and imperious scenester of the ’60s and ’70s, Hollywood actress and icon of scruffy-chic rock royalty, partner of Keith Richards, muse to several of the other Rolling Stones. And there’s a moment in it that made me suck in my breath in shock and horror as much as “Gimme Shelter” does.”

Official Trailer

Watch the official trailer for Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg