The Ballad of Shirley Collins

Shirley Collins is a little known name (at least here in the States) but she is a seminal figure in the worlds of both English and American folk music. This documentary is an attempt help her reclaim her place in music history. Rather than a straightforward biography, this movie takes a three prong approach to its subject: showing her talking with friends and admirers about her life, reenacting a trip she took in the 1950's to record American folk music with Alan Lomax, and filming her attempt to record her first new album in decades.

The movie is short, but some of the scenes linger a little too long and make the movie feel longer. But the music and cinematography are both beautiful. My main quibble is this: the movie spends way more time on Collins's trip with Lomax than it does on her singing career. Her recordings with Lomax are incredibly important, but that was only one part of her life (and it only lasted a couple years). Her singing career lasted over twenty years, and it was directed by her (and her sister), and it helped shape all English folk music that was to come after. So it is odd that it got such short shift here. But maybe they are saving it for a sequel...