Janis Joplin is one of the most revered and iconic rock & roll singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who thrilled millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails before her death in 1970 at age 27. This in depth examination presents an intimate and insightful portrait of a complicated, driven, and often beleaguered artist. Joplin's own words tell much of the film's story through a series of letters she wrote to her parents over the years, many of them made public here for the first time. Joplin was a powerhouse when she sang, and her recordings have never left the radio or the hearts of rock fans worldwide. A new understanding of a bright, complex woman whose surprising rise and sudden demise changed music forever.