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Dream’s

Patti Smith

in London

Patti Smith: Dream of Life
The pitch: As unconventional and free-form as the
poet-rocker herself, photographer turned filmmaker
Steven Sebring’s cerebral but humane portrait was shot
over nearly a dozen years with Smith’s full participation.
Why it rocks: Free of typical talking heads, Dream of Life
gets so much deeper than the usual rock doc it seems a
disservice to call it one at all. Along with smoldering live
performances, the film offers striking personal moments,
such as Smith standing over Rimbaud’s grave and playing
a blues tune with ex-lover Sam Shepard. It was while on
assignment for this magazine that Sebring met his subject.
“Spin was the first magazine to do a story with Patti on her
return back into the music scene,” recalls the director. “She
invited me to see her play in early 1996. That’s when I asked
her if I could start filming her. I traveled with her around
the world when I could; here we are today, 12 years later.”
When it drops: Late 2008