The World According to Allee Willis – Watch the trailer for the new documentary

Take one look at award-winning songwriter / artist Allee Willis and you see someone unafraid to be themselves. Dressed in a cacophony of prints and colors, her signature asymmetrical haircut and famed parties at her real-life Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Allee didn’t waste any opportunity to tell you what she was about. But privately, Allee struggled with not fitting established gender and sexual norms.

She buried herself in her work, until true love manifested her ultimate masterpiece – self-acceptance.

Allee began filming her life in 1950s Detroit and never stopped. This film is the realization of her wish that her “final art piece be someone putting together the trail I have left behind.”

Willis co-wrote hit songs including “September” and “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” by Pet Shop Boys featuring Dusty Springfield. She won two Grammy Awards for Beverly Hills Cop and The Color Purple, the latter of which was also nominated for a Tony Award. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award for “I’ll Be There for You”, which was used as the theme song for the sitcom Friends. Her compositions sold over 60 million records and she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 – Wikipedia.

Directed by Alexis Spraic, the documentary features Mark Cuban, Cyndi Lauper, Lily Tomlin, Paul Reubens, Michael Patrick King, Patti LaBelle, Pet Shop Boys, Pamela Adlon, Paul Feig, and Mark Mothersbaugh.

The film is in US cinemas now and hits digital on 22nd November.