Back in January, the BBC aired The Last Five Years, a (reportedly stunning) documentary focusing on David Bowie‘s final years before his death. However, it was scrupulously restricted to the UK – to the point where the trailer wasn’t even avaliable in Australia.
Then, in February, it was announced that HBO had acquired the rights to air it in the US. And now, 10 months later, we finally have that trailer.
Finally the trailer for the stunning David Bowie documentary The Last Five Years is here. Check it out below.
Focusing on the Bowie’s last five years before his tragic death in January 2016, the documentary sheds a light on the evolution his music as told through archival footage and interviews with the musical legend’s bandmates.
It is centred largely on Bowie’s final two albums, The Next Day and Blackstar, as well as his musical, Lazarus, which he began developing in the midst of his illness.
The trailer features an array of archival footage, photos and interviews. In one, Bowie explains his artistic philosophy: “Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about at the right place to do something exciting.”
The Last Five Years was directed by Francis Whately, and includes appearances from Tony Visconti, Ivo Van Hove, Toni Basil, Earl Slick and more.
Whatley previously worked on the 2013 Bowie documentary David Bowie: Five Years, which covered the middle of his career, mainly the Ziggy Stardust era (1970-1975).
“I still don’t know if he started making Blackstar before he knew he was ill, or after,” Whatley told the Guardian back in January. “People are so desperate for Blackstar to be this parting gift that Bowie made for the world when he knew he was dying but I think it’s simplistic to think that. There is more ambiguity there than people want to acknowledge. I don’t think he knew he was going to die.”
Unfortunately, it’s unclear when the documentary will be avaliable in Australia. But hopefully it being on HBO will open up a few… opportunities for us here across the pond. In the meantime, here’s the trailer to get you pumped.
[via Rolling Stone/SPIN]
