Amazing Grace

In 1972, Aretha Franklin, the undisputed Queen of Soul, recorded an album of gospel music at The New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, before an ecstatic live audience. The result, “Amazing Grace”, went on to become one of the biggest albums of Aretha Franklin’s career and one of her most beloved works. But even as the album gained fans around the world, few realised that the inspirational sessions had not only been recorded, they had been filmed by a camera crew led by Oscar winning filmmaker Sydney Pollack. However, due to technical problems, the film has never been seen. Until now. Music lovers won’t want to miss this thrilling film, which is both an extraordinary look at a key moment in American musical and social history, and an invaluable record of one of America’s greatest artists doing what she did best. One of the great music films New York Times Pure, soaring joy James King, BBC Radio 2