This past weekend, the long-awaited documentary Love To Love You, Donna Summer debuted on HBO’s Max streaming service as well as traditional cable.
The 1-hour and 46-minute experience, co-produced by Donna’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano, lived up to expectations as a truthful and serious look at the life and times of the Queen of Disco, who died of lung cancer in May of 2012.
The documentary focuses on all parts of Summer’s life, not just the music. Her volatile romantic relationships, the harm of being molested by a clergyman and her battles with fame, motherhood and being her whole, authentic self.
The greatest part of the documentary, aside from the sheer honesty of it all, is the home movie element. Brooklyn Sudano uncovered home footage shot by her mother, who loved making home movies as well as painting.
The clear for the times footage of Summer hamming it up with her friends and family and more introspective moments like singing and playing the piano give a glimpse into the life of a woman who played a sex symbol beyond compare on stage, but was a funny, complicated and introspective woman once the music stopped playing.
The documentary also gives the proper context to Summer’s religious conversion in the 1980s, even down to the infamous “Adam and Steve” comment, as well as remarks about HIV/AIDS being God’s punishment for the LGBT community that she vehemently denied making.
And of course, there is the music aspect of it all. Donna Summer is credited as a tremendous songwriter and performer in the doc, though everyone long knew she could sing. The behind-the-scenes studio processes sprinkled throughout the documentary, as well as the live performances, show that she was indeed the total package as an artist and entertainer.
Love To Love You is a documentary about humanity, the totality of one’s life outside of what the general public knows of them. Donna Summer’s 63 years of life likely felt too short to everyone that loves her, but thanks to her daughter’s love and filmmaking, fans, friends and family of this icon can take solace in knowing that those 63 years were remarkable at every turn.
