A politically engaged musician whose lyrics addressed the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War. Gold Records in Deep Space
Actor Laurence Fishburne provides the voiceover, speaking from the perspective of Blind Willie Johnson. Featured Artists The Soul of a Man(2003)
Known for his haunting, high-pitched vocals and complex guitar style; he was "rediscovered" in the 1960s after decades of obscurity. A politically engaged musician whose lyrics addressed the
Since little archival footage exists for artists like Blind Willie Johnson and Skip James, Wenders used staged, silent-film style sequences to dramatize their lives. Since little archival footage exists for artists like
Wenders describes the film more as a "poem" than a traditional documentary. It avoids a strictly chronological approach, instead using a mix of techniques to bring the music to life:
The narrative begins with the 1977 launch of the Voyager space probe , which carried Blind Willie Johnson’s "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" as a representation of human culture.