Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine
Alfonso Maiorana, Director. She played the seventh National Women’s Music Festival on her way to stardom, and yet, the completely amazing Canadian slide guitarist and singer Ellen McIlwaine ended up largely forgotten.
Soon after arriving in Greenwich Village with no prospects, she found herself opening for the biggest blues legends in the world, like Odetta and Mississippi John Hurt. But it’s the six magical nights a young, fearless redheaded Ellen ignited the stage with Jimi Hendrix that changed the course of her life. Goddess of Slide is an intimate look at a pioneer performer whose road trip to stardom and long career deserves a rightful place in music history. 88 Min. CC
“Lovingly compiled with archival images and footage plus extensive interviews with McIlwaine herself… full of her wonderful music, described as psychedelic gospel and rootsy folk Americana. But the doco also paints a wider picture about the lack of recognition of women guitarists in a male-dominated field.” – Annette Basile, FilmInk