I Am Heath Ledger offers an intimate look at a… | Little White Lies

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I Am Heath Ledger offers an inti­mate look at a fall­en star

05 Apr 2017

Words by Sophie Wyatt

A new doc­u­men­tary allows us access into the pri­vate life of the late Aus­tralian actor.

Coin­cid­ing with what would have been his 38th birth­day, the first trail­er for Spike TV’s I Am Heath Ledger has been released online. The film com­bines can­did first-hand inter­views with friends, fam­i­ly and co-work­ers, with inti­mate home video footage of the fall­en Aus­tralian star.

The sud­den death of Ledger in 2008 stunned fans and broke the hearts of many. This doc­u­men­tary looks set to sep­a­rate the man from the heart­throb per­sona, and will cel­e­brate his short life both on screen and off it.

As well as show­ing eulo­gies from some of his clos­est friends and col­lab­o­ra­tors, the trail­er com­pris­es a num­ber of shots of Ledger hold­ing the cam­era himself.

Mod­el and friend Christi­na Cauchi explains that There were always cam­eras around. A video cam­era, a polaroid cam­era, the film cam­era. That’s the only way I think of him, with the cam­era in the hand.” Child­hood pal Trevor Dicar­lo pon­ders, He was always a direc­tor. Act­ing was just a way to get there.”

The only notable absen­tee is Ledger’s longterm part­ner Michelle Williams, who pre­sum­ably wished not to par­tic­i­pate in the film.

I Am Heath Ledger will pre­mière on 23 April at the Tribeca Film Fes­ti­val before being made avail­able to watch online from 17 May.

Two illustrated book covers depicting a smiling Black man wearing a hat and tie, with a city skyline in the background

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