Heaven Adores You is an intimate inquiry into the life and music of Elliott Smith. In this documentary, we journey through the life of Steven Paul “Elliott” Smith, a musician whose rise to prominence in the 1990s and early 2000s was cut short by his untimely death at the age of 34 in 2003.
The film – which receives its Irish premiere as part of First Fortnight - opens in 1998, a year in which Elliott receives an Oscar nomination for his song Miss Misery for the film Good Will Hunting, and his album XO receives acclaim. An interviewer inquires about his declaration that he’d never be a rock star. Elliott thoughtfully replies, “I’m the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous…”
What kind of person was Elliott Smith? Since his death in 2003, many have attempted to tell the story of his creative “sadsack” genius, often through the lens of struggle, heartache and addiction. Director Nickolas Rossi employs a different lens, placing music centre-stage, creating a framework for Elliott to narrate the story of his life himself, through the filter of recorded conversations and interviews.
The screening will be followed by a post-show Q&A and panel discussion
