The life and legacy of Queen of Disco Donna Summer is being celebrated in a new HBO documentary called Love to Love You, Donna Summer. The documentary was produced by Summer’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano and directed by Roger Ross Williams and takes it’s title from one of Summer’s biggest well known songs. Summer’s hits also include I Feel Love, Bad Girl, On the Radio, Last Dance and She Works Hard for the Money.
HBO hosted a screening and premiere event in anticipation of the documentary’s release at the Edison Ballroom in New York City. Along with Brooklyn Sudano other attendees included Sudano’s sisters Amanda Sudano Ramirez and Mimi Dohler, Donna’s widow Bruce Sudano, Summer’s sister Mary Gaines Bernard, director Roger Ross Williams, film producer Lisa Cortés and Questlove.
“Roger and I really agreed from the very beginning that we wanted to tell the truth, whatever that brought up, whatever the journey brought, that we were going to be as transparent with the audience as we could be. And so I think we have the the film that we do because that was the foundation that we started from”, said Brooklyn Sudano.
The documentary features a blend of concert performance footage and off stage home video footage of Summer as those who were closest to her provided commentary and narration about who Donna was behind the glamorous onstage singer. Donna’s voice is also featured not just in songs but sharing details of what she went through offstage during her time as a disco superstar. The documentary traces Donna’s journey from her hardships as a child growing up in inner city Boston, to her rise to fame in Germany, to her becoming the Queen of Disco and how she struggled to balance motherhood and marriage with superstardom.
Brooklyn spoke about her mother’s sense of humor, and her always trying to be a funny character and spoke about Summer’s ability to not take herself seriously and that she always remained grounded.
“I think it’s important to see somebody’s life in full and to really understand that my mom was much more than just the Disco Queen title, that she really was a full faceted human being and an artist in the true sense of the word. She was a songwriter. She was a painter. She played piano. She created a lot of her her stage costumes and things like that. So she really was an artist through and through. So I think understanding that about her, but also understanding what she did for music, what she did for culture and that her legacy lives on today, that even today you have Beyonce with Summer Renaissance, that it’s still relevant, it’s timeless. I think when you put it all together, I think the impact of that is is really shown”, Brooklyn Sudano said about what she ultimately hopes viewers take away from the documentary.
The documentary’s director Roger Ross Williams spoke about Summer’s relevancy even today stating, “She started electronica. I Feel Love was something that started it all, just listen to Beyonce’s Summer Renaissance anyone. Williams’ admiration of Summer goes back to his high school years when he won a hustle championship while dancing to I Feel Love.
Academy Award nominated producer Lisa Cortés said about how Summer inspired her, “When I heard her early classic songs, I mean, I can still sing along to Last Dance or Enough is Enough. So it’s a part of like a soundtrack for a really special time for me as a teen”.
Before this documentary, Summer’s life was explored and celebrated in a Broadway musical called Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. So what’s next for continuing the legacy of Donna Summer? “I think one of the, the responses from the film is how much people love her art so I think there will be some kind of experience with her artwork, and I think hopefully you know, a biopic or limited series. I think there’s a narrative version of her story”, Brooklyn Sudano shared.
Love to Love You Donna Summer premieres on HBO and HBOMax on May 20th.
Photo Credit: HBO
