Disney+ has commissioned a Hulu Original feature length documentary film from Rare TV and Stellify Media that will follow singer, Duffy.
In the late 2000s, Duffy was one of the biggest names in music, with her multi-platinum album Rockferry and its lead single Mercy hitting the top of the charts across the globe. Then she disappeared. For 10 years, Duffy vanished from the music scene and the public eye Then in 2020, Duffy published a post on her social media. She revealed that a decade earlier, she had been drugged, before being kidnapped and taken to another country, where she was violently and sexually abused.
Documenting her life in this way for the first time, the documentary, directed by Gill Callan, will be a retrospective film traversing Duffy’s life, from her upbringing in Wales, through to her rise to fame and her withdrawal from public life following her experience.
It will feature access to Duffy, along with archive and interviews with family, friends, and peers in the music industry.
The documentary is executive produced by Fernando De Jesus for Rare TV, who will produce the film in partnership with executive producer Matthew Worthy for Stellify Media. The film was commissioned out of the UK for Disney+ by Angela Jain, Head of Content, and Sean Doyle, VP, Unscripted, EMEA.
The commission follows a successful pitch through a previously announced development fund created by Disney+ UK, in collaboration with Northern Ireland Screen, to help support and grow the production sector in Northern Ireland.
Sean Doyle, Vice President, Unscripted, Disney+ commented, “Fifteen years ago, Duffy was one of the most famous singers in the world. Her voice was distinctly recognisable and powerful. Songs “Mercy” and “Warwick Avenue” from her debut album led to 3 Brit Awards, a Grammy and Duffy being at the peak of her career. And then she disappeared. This film will give Duffy the chance to tell her story in her own words. I am grateful to our collaborators at Rare TV for this unprecedented access, along with Stellify Media for handling this project with sensitivity and care. We set out in a search for impactful, female-led stories in collaboration with Northern Ireland Screen, and it’s a privilege that Duffy’s is the first we’re able to help tell. But above all, I’m especially in awe of Duffy – for her honesty and courage to share her story.”
Gill Callan, Director, adds, “Duffy’s life has been shaped by success and fame, but equally by pain, defiance, and an irrepressible sense of self. I’m drawn to the tension between vulnerability and confidence in her story and how a person can be deeply affected by their experiences, yet still find a powerful, expressive voice that is unmistakably hers.”
Pippa Considine
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