Presenting Princess Shaw

Description

Barely staying afloat as a rest-home caregiver in New Orleans, Samantha Montgomery has a sort of secret life (though she wishes it were a lot more public): As Princess Shaw, she writes and sings her own songs, primarily to a paltry following via YouTube posts. Like many today, she dreams of stardom. Unlike most, she really does have a distinctive talent. But it doesn’t seem as if her gorgeous voice and arresting compositions are destined to make more than a tiny ripple in the giant pond of showbiz aspirants. Not without some help, at least. Little does Princess know, however, that aid has already arrived in the form of a complete stranger thousands of miles away in Israel. From his kibbutz home in the Negev Desert, producer/composer/mashup artist Ophir Kutiel aka Kutiman draws on YouTube performers worldwide to create original tracks (and videos) that transforms their original contributions. These “collaborators” don’t even know they’re part of his projects until each one is posted online…and promptly becomes a viral sensation. When the rather glorious final product that evolves from Princess’s a cappella vocal is introduced to the world, she is as shocked as anyone. Ido Haar’s documentary explores not just one unforgettable star-in-the-making, but a brave new world of online creativity. —Dennis Harvey

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