Beyonce’s documentary “Life is But A Dream” is set to air tonight at 9pm on HBO. The week, The Source Magazine was on the star-studded red carpet for the film’s premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater. Oprah made a surprise appearance where she moderated a conversation with Beyonce before the screening began. Oprah’s sit down interview with Beyonce will air before the documentary tonight on OWN at 8pm.
Of course Beyonce’s entire team and family was in attendance including her mother Miss Tina Knowles, Jay-Z, Solange Knowles and her son and boyfriend, and her stylist Ty Hunter. Director Ed Burke, Cinematographer Bill Kirstein were also on the scene. Other notables in attendance included Beyonce’s long time collaborator producer/writer/singer The-Dream, Angela Simmons, Gayle King and daughter, Alexsus Houston, Designer Christian Siriano, Luke James, Genevieve Jones, Questlove, June Ambrose, Actress Angela Bassett, Model Selita Ebanks, Models Tyson Beckford and Model Shanina Shaik, Model Doutzen Kroes, Hannah Bronfman and Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Designer Rubin Singer, Russell Simmons, Model Cynthia Bailey, Kim Chandler, NFL Player Victor Cruz, Jeweller Lorraine Schwartz and Chris Rock.
We caught up with Beyonce on the red carpet. Check out what she had to say about working on this intimate documentary:
Q: Tell us about the project?
Beyonce: I’m so proud of it, I hope it inspires a lot of people. I’ve been directing for a few years and I’ve taken baby steps and now here I am! My favorite network, HBO. I’ve loved their documentaries and I’m just honored and excited about the film.
Q: You’re a producer, director, one of the best entertainers of our time, a wife, a mother, what is next? Is there anything else you haven’t done that you want to do?
Beyonce: I want to continue to grow and to continue to challenge myself and life is about connecting dots and all of the scary times in your life makes you who you are. I like that challenge and I’ll continue to grow and who knows what that means, but I can say that this movie taught me so much about myself and so much about life, it’s been like therapy for me.
Q: Is there a song that you sing to Blue Ivy?
Beyonce: Actually, her favorite song is “Row, row, row your boat.” Which is one of the reasons why the name of the movie is “Life is but a Dream.”
Q: What do you think of Beyonce?
Oprah: I love her even more after this documentary because I think she showed us, she did the thing that everyone wants celebrities to show, is some vulnerability. So she was a mythical figure, like “my God how does she do that?” So although you admire her and you think she’s wonderful you had no idea that she had that kind of vulnerability.
Q: Is she a good director?
Oprah: She’s the best! Because she had access to herself.
Q: What did you think of the movie?
Oprah: I thought it was intimate, I thought it was powerful, I thought it was meaningful, I thought it was not just powerful but empowering. As I was watching with my girls from South Africa, all nine of them who are going to college here in the United States right now, and they were cheering and crying and at the end of it said , “she’s just like us!” And I said, “eh kind of” (laughs) But that’s what we come away with is the vulnerability of her spirit is just like ours. She hurts and she longs to do the right things and make honest choices for herself. And wrestles with how much of myself do I give away? I still want to be honest. My favorite moment was when she says “I’m done with trying to be cool I’m going to be honest.”
Q: You’re fresh from the Grammys, how was that night for you?
The-Dream: Actually it was pretty good! Made good TV, I actually got a Grammy again and I’m really blessed to have that. I have four of them now and I’m really excited. I’m more excited about next year’s Grammys, I think I’m going to put on four hats! (Laughs)
Q: Can you tell us about working with Beyonce, obviously you know her you’ve worked with her, what’s that experience like?
The-Dream: That’s my homie. Right now it’s not even work. It was work when we did “Single Ladies.” Of course even at that time I thought she was amazing. But now it’s like, that’s my sister. I could come into the city and I’ll just end up staying here, we’ll just work day in day out. Not thinking about it like she’s an artist, she’s just a person, a human being. Q: Are you working on her new album now? A: Of course! We stalk each other now.
Q: What do you think about her doing this very personal kind of documentary?
The-Dream: Oh I love it. I love it because when you’re that big, that just means how you much you have inside here that you hold from the world. Not in a bad way, you just can’t let it out because the business of music and just being a movie star, all of these things you have to keep it together. It’s all about keeping it together, they should never see you hurt or cry or feel any emotion. It’s better THIS (in regards to the movie) way. I think she’s going to wake up tomorrow like “ahh, got it out.” height: 14px;”>The intimate after-party was held at Christie’s.
Beyonce’s documentary “Life is But A Dream” is set to air tonight at 9pm on HBO.
