1st Authorized Jerry Garcia Documentary Announced

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Jerry Garcia (Photo by Herb Greene, used with permission)

The first-ever authorized feature documentary of Grateful Dead guitarist, singer and songwriter Jerry Garcia is now in the works. The film will be directed by filmmaker Justin Kreutzmann, a longtime associate of the late Garcia’s and the son of Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann. The film is being made in partnership with RadicalMedia. No release date has been announced. Justin Kreutzmann was a producer on Martin Scorsese’s 2017 four-hour documentary Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead and also directed the award-winning The Doors Break on Thru: A Celebration of Ray Manzarek.

According to the official announcement, “Opening up the Jerry Garcia personal archives for the very first time, the documentary will be an intimate look and the definitive story of the man, the father, artist, husband, musician, friend and co-founder of the Grateful Dead. Through this very personal portrait, Kreutzmann shares never-before-heard interviews with Garcia and those closest to him, as well as never-before-seen footage he filmed over years of time with Garcia. Within this tale, we will better understand and reflect upon how at a time of unrest, hope and change, this unassuming troubadour not only inspired and galvanized a compassionate movement but also had a seismic impact in shifting American culture for years to come.”

Said Executive Producer Trixie Garcia, daughter of the late musician, “We are ecstatic to be moving forward with this film dedicated to our father Jerry Garcia, who he was and what drove his dedication to music. Decades later and his influence is more powerful than ever. Who better to illuminate the musical journey of Jerry Garcia than someone who grew up right in the middle of the Grateful Dead scene? Jerry loved Justin like one of his own and so do we. RadicalMedia is a seriously talented production company; together we intend to pay proper homage to the man who continues to inspire millions of fans around the planet! Because music heals and we all want just a little more time with Jerry.”

Justin Kreutzmann said, “Going through airports or killing time before a Grateful Dead gig I could always hang with Jerry. When your dad’s the drummer in a band you still only have one dad…but you have a lot of uncles. It’s such a wonderful honor that Trixie and the Garcia family have put that same faith in me to tell Jerry’s story. When people ask what I miss most about him not being around, I think it’s just missing Jerry, the person. People like him don’t come around very often. It’s my dream to capture the feeling you got when you hung out with Jerry and listened to him play music. A lot of people have told the world what they thought of Jerry, but I want to show what Jerry thought of the world.”

Watch the Grateful Dead perform “Sugaree” at San Francisco’s Winterland in 1974