Gilda Radner
Native Detroiter Gilda Radner attended University of Liggett School and the University of Michigan before heading off to a life of fame on Saturday Night Live and beyond.
Gildner, who died of ovarian cancer in 1989 at age 42, is the subject of a film "Love Gilda, that is playing Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The showing comes on the last day of Cinetopia, the annual film festival held in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Dearborn.
Coming off a strong reception in April at the Tribeca Film Festival, "Love, Gilda" is poised to become a critical favorite when it opens in theaters sometime later this year, writes Julie Hinds of the Detroit Free Press.
The film is told through Radner's own words from recordings and journals and interviews with friends and family. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with director Lisa D'Apolito, producer Meryl Goldsmith and Michael Radner, who will attend the local premiere along with assorted cousins, relatives and old friends, Hinds writes.
The Tribeca Film Festival wrote this about the film:
There’s the beloved image of GILDA RADNER: fearless, passionate, and iconic. And then, there are shades of Radner the public wasn’t privileged to know, beyond her beloved characters on Saturday Night Live: the Radner who struggled with success, fame, relationships, and a battle with ovarian cancer. In Love, Gilda, director LISA D’APOLITO uses rare personal recordings and journal entries to tell Radner’s story in her own words. Along the way, friends and admirers, including AMY POEHLER, CECILY STRONG, LORNE MICHAELS, and a host of others, offer their most cherished memories of this brilliant trailblazer. What results is a touching tribute to and a fascinating contemplation of the comedian’s enduring cultural impact. Love, Gilda offers a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer (and Detroit native) whose greatest role was sharing her story.
