Patti Smith: Pitchfork Feature

Patti Smith: Dream of Life, photographer-turned-director Steven Sebring's filmic portrait of punk goddess Patti Smith, chronicles 11 years in the life of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Sebring followed Smith from 1996 to 2007, chronicling her life through live performances, lyrics, visual art, and interviews with, among others, composer Philip Glass and playwright Sam Shepard. Smith herself narrates the film.

Dream of Life has screened at various film festivals (it won the Cinematography Award at Sundance), but art needs to reach the people, too. Sebring's movie will do just that when Palm Pictures screens it at New York City's Film Forum from August 6-19, and then in wider release in September. A DVD is in the works for 2009.

Also in August, Rizzoli will publish Sebring's companion book, also titled Dream of Life. It features interviews as well as photographs from Smith's private collection.

Backing up another month, PASK releases The Coral Sea, the CD version of Smith's live collaboration with My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields, on July 11. Also that month, Smith has a run of European festival dates.