Patti Smith: Electric Poet

Patti Smith arrived in New York at the age of 20 and challenged the conventions of rock, poetry, and genre. A poet, actress, and musician, she has become a living legend without ever stepping away from the periphery. Also politically active, she is an artist with many facets, now 74 years old. The documentary traces the course of Patti Smith's life, beginning with her childhood. The artist recalls: "I wanted to be someone special. I felt distant—not just from other children, but from the whole world. I spent my childhood thinking I was an alien." Little Patti grew up in rural New Jersey and received a religious education from her mother, a Jehovah's Witness. However, Patti Smith eventually left the movement, which was incompatible with her artistic inclinations.