Joan Rivers — A Piece of Work
Career Award Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg
Joan Rivers wants your attention. And you’re going to give it to her. In this hilarious, unflinching vérité portrait of the groundbreaking comedian, we see a 75-year-old artist—in all her Botoxed glory—desperately fighting to keep the spotlight in a youth-dominated culture. (Her worst nightmare is a blank page in her appointment calendar.) Poignantly candid—and characteristically profane—Rivers takes us on a yearlong ride, reveling in the triumphs of over half a century onstage and baring the crippling insecurity that gnaws at her: Is she still relevant? Undaunted, though not unaffected, by her famous falling out with Johnny Carson and the suicide of her husband, the Joan Rivers we see today remains completely her own creation: brutally honest and uncompromising in her comedy. Driven by a relentless work ethic and desire for success, this is an entertainer who’ll give you everything she’s got. RM
Director
Ricki Stern
Producers
Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg, Seth Keal
Editor
Penelope Falk
Cinematographer
Charles Miller
Release Year
2010
Festival Year
2011
Country
United States
Run Time
85 minutes