Music icon Beyonce and HBO have teamed up to create a tell-all documentary — Life is But a Dream — set to premiere this weekend. Beyonce, who over her 12 years in the music business has made it a priority to keep her personal life private, has decided to lay it all out on the screen.
Here’s what you should know about the baring of Beyonce’s soul on HBO …
1. The Film was Co-directed by Beyonce and Ed Burke
The movie is a compilation of of raw video Beyonce shot herself, mixed with first-person footage. Some concert footage is also incorporated. Ed Burke has worked with Beyonce in the past with other video projects.
2. The Movie Was Inspired by Beyonce’s Daughter Blue Ivy
The movie itself chronicles Beyonce’s pregnancy and birth of her daughter. The Grammy-winning singer shows footage of a sonogram, her growing bump and grainy video of herself posing nude just before her due date. “I’m hoping that … it can comfort her and inspire her in her life when she needs it,” she told the Associated Press.
3. Miscarriage Rumors Are Proven True
Beyonce’s hush-hush miscarriage is brought center-stage in the documentary as the singer confronts it head-on. Beyonce also addresses “the most ridiculous rumor” she has ever dealt with: that she used a surrogate mother to carry a child. Jay-Z referred to the miscarriage in his song “Glory,” which he released following the birth of Blue Ivy.
4. Movie Has Been Beyonce’s “Therapy”
“This movie has really been my therapy,” the 31-year-old singer said at the film’s New York premiere screening Tuesday night. “I’ve healed from so many wounds… and hopefully I can inspire other people.”
5. Oprah Freakin’ Loved It
Oprah says that people will finally get a sense of who Beyonce “really is.” Beyonce’s interview with Oprah will air same day as HBO premiere.
6. Beyonce is a Well-Known Enigma — Until Now
It’s known throughout the entertainment world that Beyonce has a closely guarded private life. It’s even said that she gives boring interviews. Neither Nightline, 60 Minutes, GQ nor Vogue has been able to truly pull back the curtain of the pop diva’s life. This movie apparently bares it all for the first time.
7. It Gives a Sneak Peak into Her Four-Year Marriage to Jay-Z
There’s even footage of the couple singing Coldplay’s “Yellow” to each other.
8. The Doc Sheds Light on Her Professional Split from Her Dad
Beyonce’s father Matthew Knowles managed Beyonce’s career until he was fired in 2011. In the documentary Beyonce explains the logic behind her difficult decision:
When you’re trying to have an everyday conversation with your family you have to talk about scheduling and you have to talk about your album and performing and touring. It’s just too stressful and it really affects your relationship.
-Beyonce
9. She Isn’t as Nice as She Used to Be
Beyonce performs at the Super Bowl Half-Time Show.
Since 2011, Beyonce has been managing herself, and it hasn’t been easy. The movie depicts how tough the independent businesswoman has to be to keep herself relevant.
10. The Doc is Set to Premiere February 16
“Life is But a Dream” airs on HBO on Saturday, February 16, the same day as Beyonce’s interview with Oprah Winfrey on the OWN cable channel.
Tune in to watch because, as Anderson Cooper says:
