The world lost a titan of film criticism last year when Roger Ebert finally lost his life to the cancer that had taken his lower jaw. Hoop Dreams director Steve James and a team of Ebert’s closest acquaintances have put together Life Itself, a documentary that explores his life and his impact on the world of cinema and beyond. The new trailer for the movie can be viewed over at Apple.
Based on Ebert’s eponymous memoir and featuring contributions from friends, frenemies and just a few of those filmmakers whose life his work touched through his long career, Life Itself chronicles his legacy in a way that is funny, painful and honest. It doesn’t draw back from showing him at his most difficult, but it also celebrates his achievements and how much Ebert's life and work meant to so many people.
Such luminaries as Errol Morris, Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese and more line up to talk about Ebert, along with many of his friends and fellow critics and his wife, Chaz. They all have stories to tell; this is a man who lived life to the full and refused to concede when cancer came his way. US audiences will see the film on VOD and in cinemas on July 4. We’re hoping it’ll make its way over here soon enough.