Ella Fitzgerald Something to Live For (2000)

Writerdirector Charlotte Zwerin performs sleight of hand with this beautifully composed documentary originally produced for public televisions American Masters series Created nearly four years after Ella Fitzgeralds death Zwerins film uses the lush voice and superb repertoire of the First Lady of Song to provide continuity while assembling convincing if composite narrative quotes gleaned from various interviews The latter are noteworthy given the singers lifelong modesty and insistence on privacy Archival footage of early performances as well as later television appearances capture Ellas pilgrimage from Depressionera New York through her discovery at the Apollo Theater and subsequent emergence as a swing vocalist and on to her long career as a matchless pop and jazz stylist Tony Bennett is a sympathetic narrator while added affection and insight are provided through