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.
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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.
