MELANIE CHEER - DR DIVA

DR DIVA, 2008
MOVIE DURATION: 8 MINS. 5 SECS.

MY WORK EVOLVED INTO A VIDEO PORTRAIT OF NINA SIMONE, CONCENTRATING ON HER TIME AT RONNIE SCOTT’S, LOOKING THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.
DAVID REDFERN HAS PHOTOGRAPHED SIMONE SINCE 1966, AND HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO OBSERVE THE “JEKYLL AND HYDE” PERSONALITY THAT SHE BECAME WELL KNOWN FOR; HE ALSO WITNESSED HOW SIMONE BROUGHT THE CLUB OUT OF THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR, BY FILLING THE CLUB NIGHT AFTER NIGHT. PETE KING, FORMER OWNER AND MANAGER OF RONNIE SCOTT’S, EXPERIENCED SIMONE’S DIVA LIKE BEHAVIOUR, FIRST-HAND. THE FINAL POINT OF VIEW CAME FROM SIMONE HERSELF, WITH TEXTS TAKEN FROM HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

CONTACT: MELANIECHEER@HOTMAIL.COM