The first four minutes have been released of the Elliott Smith documentary that took three years to piece together. Watch above, thanks to the AFI DOCS international documentary festival in Washington, D.C. The film, Heaven Adores You, began with a Kickstarter campaign in 2011 and trailers have trickled out since then, the most recent of which arrived in April to align with the premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
The new clip, fittingly titled “Heaven Adores You: The First Few Minutes,” begins with Smith in a 1998 interview speaking on his newfound success following the Oscar nomination for his song “Miss Misery,” famously included in the soundtrack for Good Will Hunting. “I mostly only know things are different because people ask me different questions,” he says, “but I don’t feel like things are very changed. I do the same things that I did before. I think about the same things.”
He continues, “I’m not trying to avoid anything. I would just have to be more… I’m the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous.”
Smith goes on to talk about his surreal performance at the Oscars. The the narrative continues — intertwining scenic shots of Smith’s hometown of Portland, Oregon — onto other interviews where he speaks on the unexpected attention, and how he would have to start every day in the studio with an hour of inane press questions.
The full Heaven Adores You film includes unreleased recordings as well as never-before-seen video and photos of Smith. AFI DOCS is a five-day documentary international film festival that runs from June 18 through 22 in Washington, D.C.
