Long Strange Trip, an In-depth Four Hour Documentary on the Grateful Dead featuring Never-Before-Seen Footage
Amazon announced today that they will acquire Long Strange Trip by Amir Bar-Lev. The documentary is set to debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
Long Strange Trip will have four screenings at the upcoming film festival in Utah.
Business Wire and Amazon spoke with the director of the film Amir Bar-Lev, as well as band members from the Grateful Dead featuring Bob Weir and Micky Hart:
“I first reached out to the Grateful Dead about this film back in 2003,” said Bar-Lev. “Since then, everyone who has come aboard has treated this project with a renegade spirit of cooperation and ingenuity worthy of the subject matter. I recognized immediately that Amazon was the perfect distributor when I met their team, and I can’t wait to see how many brains they can infect with the Dead’s contagious brand of anti-establishment fun.”
“I’ve always admired the spirit and creativity of the Grateful Dead,” said Scorsese. “They are revolutionary artists who forever changed the world of touring and recording live music. They were a cultural force–a lifestyle, that continue to influence new generations of fans. This film will entertain and educate audiences about one of the most innovative and groundbreaking American bands of the 20th century.”
“The story of the Grateful Dead is that of music and culture of the 20th Century,” said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy and Drama, Amazon Studios. “Told with vast scope and an unprecedented cast of real life characters, Amir has taken advantage of this larger than life canvas to make an era-defining musical portrait that we can’t wait to bring to audiences everywhere.”
Bob Weir commented: “Over several decades a group of guys hung together making music in a group that was way tighter and lasted much longer than most marriages. Here’s the movie…”
Mickey Hart commented: “Stranger than fiction – a user’s guide for an impossible journey.”
The film will showcase never-before-seen footage, and give in an extended look at the revolutionary rock band from San Francisco. Watch below footage from a show on 8/4/1976 at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, NJ.
