The unexpected portrait of “The Queen of Disco” debuts May 20th
HBO Original documentary Love To Love You, Donna Summer debuts Saturday, May 20th from 8-10 pm ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The documentary had its international premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and its domestic premiere at SXSW.
Shaped by Summer’s own reflections, the memories of close family, friends and colleagues, and filled with the sounds of Summer’s songs, Love To Love You, Donna Summer is an in-depth look at the iconic artist as she creates music that takes her from the avant-garde music scene in Germany, to the glitter and bright lights of dance clubs in New York, to worldwide acclaim, her voice becoming the defining soundtrack of an era. A deeply personal portrait of Summer on and off the stage, the film features a wealth of photographs and never-before-seen home video footage – often shot by Summer herself – and provides a rich window into the surprising range of her artistry, from songwriting to painting, while exploring the highs and lows of a life lived on the global stage.
The film pulsates with the beats and significance of Summer’s music, including her early hits with Giorgio Moroder, which invoked a sexuality that became a hallmark of Summer’s wildly popular stage persona at the time; and “She Works Hard for The Money,” which paid tribute to the working woman and became the first video from a black female artist to debut on MTV. The film provides a rich perspective on her complexity, talent, and the adversity she faced while examining the impact that fame can have on love, art and family.
Contextualizing Summer’s extraordinary life are her three daughters, Brooklyn Sudano, Mimi Dohler and Amanda Sudano Ramirez; husband, Bruce Sudano; her siblings, Dara Bernard, Mary Ellen Bernard and Ric Gaines. Also included are her first husband Helmuth Sommer, manager Susan Munao, band member Bob Conti, producer Giorgio Moroder.
The film was directed by Oscar and Emmy-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams (Life Animated, HBO’s The Apollo) and Brooklyn Sudano, daughter of Donna Summer. The film is a partnership between HBO Documentary Films, Polygram Entertainment, Motto Pictures, One Story Up and Federal Films.
Producers are Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, Roger Ross Williams and David Blackman with J. Daniel Torres co-producing. Sudano, Bruce Sudano, Michele Anthony, Bruce Resnikoff, Monte Lipman, Brett Alperowitz are executive producing alongside HBO executives.
