Singer-songwriter Janis Ian rose to fame before the age of 16, writing and performing her hit single "Society's Child" in her teens. That success led her on a winding path of ups and downs in her career and personal life. The film will be presented on Saturday, January 18 at 8 p.m. at O Cinema in Miami Beach in the documentary "Janis Ian: Breaking the Silence." The film is part of the 28th Miami Jewish Festival, which concludes on Thursday, January 23.
Written and directed by Varda Bar-Kar, the documentary traces Ian's life from her childhood and her hit song "Society's Child," written at age 13, to the ups and downs of a musical career spanning more than 60 years.
Director: Varda Bar-Kar
Writers: Varda Bar-Kar, Pierre Hauser
Stars: Nicole Andersen, Leonard Andrew, Heidi Appe
What stands out in this 111-minute documentary is Janis Ian's openness in expressing her optimism about her life and career, despite numerous personal and professional setbacks. “I wanted to make a documentary about a female artist I identify with. Janis Ian came to mind because of her masterful album ‘Between The Lines,’ which stayed with me deeply. When I was in high school, I listened to it over and over again because it made me feel a way I desperately longed for. Her music has been a prominent presence in my life,” Bar-Kar said.
The film begins by tracing Ian's life, born Janis Fink in 1951, back to her roots in New Jersey. Ian was raised by liberal Jewish parents on a poultry farm. Her father guided young Janis on her path, introducing her to the piano and guitar from a young age.
“I loved writing and singing, and one day I saw a young interracial couple in love on the bus and thought, ‘Will they grow old and love each other?’ And I didn’t think so, because of the society of the early 1960s. So I wrote about my musical ideas and recorded “Society’s Child,” and the song caught on after some critical acclaim,” Ian said in the documentary.
“Society’s Child,” recorded in 1965, didn’t become a hit until 1967. As Ian discussed in the documentary, the song’s subject matter of interracial relationships was considered taboo by some radio stations, who banned it from their playlists.
“I received hate mail and many death threats for recording “Society’s Child,” but my colleagues in the music world encouraged me, especially folk music legends like Joan Baez, so I continued to pursue my passion for singing and writing songs that moved me deeply,” Ian said in the documentary.
Bar-Kar filmed quotes from famous musicians and celebrities, such as Joan Baez and comedian Lily Tomlin, praising Ian for the song.
“‘Society’s Child’ started a national conversation about race relations, and Janis’s song moved people to stand up for what they believed was right and just,” Tomlin stated in the film.
Reaction to “Society’s Child” changed when composer Leonard Bernstein praised the song and included Ian singing and speaking about its impact on a 1967 television special. Thanks to the show, “Society’s Child” sold over 600,000 copies and reached number 14 on the 1967 Billboard Top Songs chart.
Bar-Kar showed footage from the show, as well as Ian’s revelations about his fears while performing the song in the late 1960s.
As revealed in the video, Ian’s candid comments strengthened his determination to perform “Society’s Child.”
“I’m proud that I never stopped performing because of negative comments,” Ian said.
In addition to “Society’s Child,” Ian recorded his most popular song in the United States, “At Seventeen,” in 1975. The song became his only top ten hit, as well as the song with which he is most identified.
Bar-Kar spent 30 minutes in Ian's documentary detailing and interpreting the song, as well as analyzing its impact.
"The song was based on an 18-year-old girl who wasn't the prettiest cheerleader and was bullied by her peers. I changed her age to 17 to fit the music, and it just resonated with everyone. It's a song about the agony and anguish of being rejected as a person, which isn't right," Ian said.
Footage of Ian performing the song on "Saturday Night Live" in 1975, and clips from his interviews on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" highlighted the impact of "At Seventeen," as did celebrity testimonies about how they identified with the high school misfit in "At Seventeen."
Ian won the 1976 Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance in a Song for "At Seventeen," and the song also peaked at number three on the Billboard Music charts. "At Seventeen" is from his album "Between the Lines," which was among the top ten albums of 1976.
After "At Seventeen" and "Society's Child" launched Ian to fame, his subsequent songs were popular in Ireland, Japan, and other countries, but not as popular in the United States.
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