It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley

In this Sundance-premiering portrait, a flame of faithful love salvages the genius singer-songwriter’s humanity from the shadow of his premature death.

The tragedy of brilliant US singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley – renowned for his stunning 1994 debut album, Grace – is that his career barely got to take off. Having honed his lyricism and astonishing four-octave voice in East Village dive bars, he made his break at a musical tribute to his father, folk singer Tim Buckley. A record deal followed, and soon his songs were garnering praise from not just adoring fans but also stars like David Bowie and Paul McCartney. When he drowned in 1997, aged 30, Buckley was immediately recruited to rock’s pantheon of lost-too-soon talents.

Buckley’s mother, Mary Guibert, has fiercely tended his creative estate, overseeing tributes and rebuffing would-be biopics. Acting as executive producer, she entrusted director Amy Berg (Janis: Little Girl Blue) with creating this long-gestating documentary, which makes canny use of Buckley’s extensive archive. Berg’s affection for her subject shines through, but she also gives voice to women who understood Buckley’s vulnerabilities, including musicians Aimee Mann and Joan “As Police Woman” Wasser and former girlfriend Rebecca Moore. Wisely and compassionately, this film depicts lasting love as the fuel of legend, keeping Buckley’s legacy alive from his life’s quickly extinguished embers.

Starts April 30 at Luna Leederville and Luna on SX