Bessie

Completed2015United States112 min

Bessie Smith builds a career through a voice that refuses to be ignored. Moving from modest beginnings into the blues circuit and eventually a…Read more +Read less −

Bessie Smith builds a career through a voice that refuses to be ignored. Moving from modest beginnings into the blues circuit and eventually a recording career, she must contend with the business of entertainment as well as the racism and sexism surrounding it. Personal relationships offer both companionship and conflict as her professional standing grows. Her connections with women belong within that emotional life, alongside marriage, friendship and the difficult experiences that inform her music. The feature presents an artist whose public confidence does not remove her private vulnerabilities. Through performances and encounters across the years, it explores the effort required to claim authority over a career and identity in a world determined to limit both.

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Drama Music

Sapphic characters & cast

Queen Latifah

as Bessie Smith

Main sapphic character

1970-03-18Pisces

Official platform credited performer publicity portrait

YOUR FIRST LOOK

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Details & credits

Country: United States
Language: English
Premiere: 2015-05-16
Runtime: 112 minutes
Director: Dee Rees

Exact-film official platform titled key art; rights pending

Artwork source & permission status

Editorial review approved — rights not independently confirmed

Exact-film official platform titled key art; rights pending

Original publication ↗

Sources & editorial notes (6)

Last researched 2026-10-31. Editorially approved.

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