Arte documentary about Tina Turner "Like being run over by a train"

Tina Turner was on stage for more than 50 years. Companions explain the phenomenon of the black rock goddess. It is also the story of a comeback that hardly anyone expected.

"She is highly explosive on stage. Her voice alone! It's like being hit by a train." The words of music television presenter Steve Blame sound like deep reverence when he describes the success of Tina Turner (1939-2023).

Backing singer Lisa Fischer puts it this way: "This brusque, feminine way. People often think that feminine means being soft and sweet. And it can be. But it's so much more. It was so refreshing. To hear that determination, that strength."

Shadows of the past

For her portrait of the rock legend, director Schyda Vasseghi interviewed many people close to the artist - musicians, critics and video jockeys. The documentary "Tina Turner - My Songs. My Life" will be shown on Sunday (July 28) at 10.05 pm on Arte.

The film begins around 1980 with the singer's comeback. She became famous in the 1960s alongside her husband Ike Turner. A relationship that had ended in marital crises, domestic violence and divorce. It took Tina Turner eight years to step out of her husband's long shadow with her performances in New York.

"Where's Ike?"

The city wasn't necessarily waiting for her. "It was a big challenge," says author Maureen Mahon. "People said, 'Who wants to hear Tina Turner? Where's Ike? But when she performed at the Ritz Club, she showed what a phenomenal artist she was. You could see how magical she was on stage. And now everyone started to think about signing her." In 1984, "What's Love Got to Do With It" was released - a global success with a feminist attitude.

Like a modern fairy tale

"It's like a modern fairy tale," says industry expert Blame. "A woman who has actually lost everything gets a chance, lands a huge hit and then experiences a new breakthrough." Author Mahon also emphasizes the symbolic value: "She finally has this number one hit under her own name. A huge success."

Tina Turner was an exceptional artist who paved the way for a new generation of black female artists over the course of a five-decade career - not only in terms of self-empowerment, but also in terms of style, look and performance. Few global stars have left such a profound mark on people's hearts and on music history.

Beyoncé mourns

This is also made clear by the reactions from the music industry to her death in May 2023: "My beloved Queen. I love you infinitely. I am so grateful for your inspiration. You are strength and resilience. You are the epitome of strength and passion," posted Beyoncé. And Alicia Keys wrote: "The songs you sang gave us the courage to step out of ourselves and be ourselves."

The documentary by Schyda Vasseghi traces the enormous influence of the exceptional artist, which continues to have an impact today: Kim Holmes from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York, for example, revives Tina Turner's choreographies in a contemporary way together with her students.