Iconic rocker Carole Pope is going back on tour as the documentary Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions begins it theatrical rollout on Sunday, July 5. Motion 58 Entertainment released the trailer for the documentary about Pope’s groundbreaking career as an openly queer rock star who energized audiences by unabashedly and unapologetically embracing her sexuality in her music, lyrics, and stage persona. The film directed by Michelle Mama invites Pope to reflect upon her legacy with the band Rough Trade as she pushed boundaries for queer visibility with songs like “High School Confidential.”
The documentary also considers the fickle nature of stardom in Canada. Present-day scenes show Pope hustling from gig to gig while enjoying a modest living in her empty Los Angeles apartment and working to get a musical off the ground in New York. It’s an unvarnished antidote in an era of hagiographic celebrity bios.
“It was a fucking nightmare for us, but now it’s easier,” Pope told POV’s Susan G. Cole in our current cover story. “I did a lot of things before other artists, and nobody really knows that.”
Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions features interviews with many LGBTQ+ singers who followed in Pope’s trail, including k.d. lang, Rufus Rainwright, Jann Arden, and Peaches. The latter came aboard as an executive producer. The film is produced by Mama, Bill Taylor, and Allison Grace.
The theatrical rollout features stops in Hamilton (July 5), Toronto (July 6-7), St. John’s (July 9), and Vancouver (July 22-24) with Pope and Mama hitting the road to attend screenings. The roadshow will be followed by airdates on documentary Channel (July 19) and CBC Gem (July 24). The release caps off a successful Canadian festival run that included the opening night slot at Hot Docs and a win for Best Canadian Feature at Toronto’s Inside Out LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Read POV’s review for the film here.
Watch the trailer for Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions below:
