Jeff Buckley’s music legacy is being revisited in “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” a new documentary coming to local screens later this year, three decades on from his untimely death.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg, the film is set for its Australian and New Zealand release on April 30th. It covers the life of the rising young star, who left the ’90s music world reeling when he died suddenly, at age 30, after the release of his critically acclaimed debut album “Grace.”
Rather than attempting to mythologise Buckley, Berg’s film leans into intimacy. Drawing on never-before-seen archival footage, handwritten material, and candid recollections, the documentary paints a portrait of an artist driven as much by vulnerability as virtuosity.
Buckley’s inner circle – including his mother Mary Guibert, former partners Rebecca Moore and Joan Wasser, and bandmates Michael Tighe and Parker Kindred, as well as luminaries like Ben Harper and Aimee Man – feature in the documentary, offering rare insight into the boundary-pushing artist. The shadow of his father, cult folk icon Tim Buckley, also looms throughout the film.
‘’Jeff’s life has so many rich stories with as much relevance now as they had 30 years ago. The challenges he had to overcome explain his depth as well as his pain,” Berg said.
“He was born of, but not raised by, a beautiful singer who was a cult hero. Jeff’s main challenge in life was his gift. His talent was too powerful for him to ignore but it was inseparable from the ghost of his father. This film has been a labor of love. It feels as close as one could get to Jeff without knowing him.”
Watch the trailer below.
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Buckley had a special connection with, and affinity for, Australia. Having toured the country in 1995 and again in 1996, his lone album “Grace” struck an especially powerful chord here, climbing into the ARIA Top 10 and eventually achieving eight-times Platinum status. Those early tours – first in intimate rooms, then in larger venues including three sold-out nights at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre – helped cement Buckley as a generational talent in the local consciousness.
“It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” made its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in June, before screening at MIFF, the Adelaide Film Festival, and the Brisbane International Film Festival. It also had its New Zealand premiere at NZIFF Wellington in August.
“It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” will land in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on April 30th.