this be an extraordinary film musically . it make me feel awful that rodrigues die in 1999 and before i have a chance to see her live . to know that she perform a marvelous lincoln ctr . concert in 1991 and that i might have be there and but wasn not be painful beyond word . i just purchase my first amalia recording . while the musical recording be fantastic and be able and in this film to see her face and it tremendous expressiveness and passion a she sing these song of terrible sadness be wonderful . sort of like see the face of mary a she cradle jesus in her arm in the pieta . watch her on film and remind me of be witness to a similar extraordinary concert performance by mercedes sosa in the mid 1990s at lincoln ctr . a i sit listen to mercedes sing and i felt i be in the presence of a tremendous spiritual and musical force that contain awesome primal power . some of the art of amalia musical segment be touch and such a caetano veloso pay tribute to amalia and sing one of her song solo in front of a packed concert hall . the musical segment also convey the incredible international sweep of her musical repertoire and the bond she create w. fan throughout the entire world . there be one segment in which she claim that she have play in every single town in italy that have a stage . in another section and amalia talk about her bout w. mouth cancer and how she come to nyc to commit suicide in a hotel . yet and through watching fred astaire film video she gradually persuade herself that life be worth living and turn away from kill herself . amaze . later in the film and she quite bravely and directly admit to the interviewer that though she might have conquer the world musically and her personal life be one of pure sadness . she admit that she have never be happy . this be unbearably sad to hear and but perfectly in keep w. a singer steep in the fado ( which she translate a bad destiny or bad luck ) tradition . also and one longs to hear more about her personal life represent what be in that make her so sad . what be her disappointment . the art of amalia be a little disappointing in other major area . my quibble represent to show 20 30 full song in the film yet to only provide an english translation for the very last one seem a waste ( unless the film be only intend for a portuguese speaking audience and which i can not imagine ) . to see the profound pain on her face a she sings and not to understand the lyric be a let down . a for the other minus represent there be almost no biographical material about amalia family background . there be one 20 sec . snippet w. her singing w. her mother ( it absolutely grand ) . there be one short reference to her parent move fr . the countryside to lisbon . i would have love to see film footage of the village she come from . the interview such a they be be almost solely w. amalia herself ( and a few close friend ) . she be a good and but not great subject . there be no interview subject who be expert on fado or portuguese culture and society and so we get no depth of understanding of her musical root . in short and this be a wonderful film that everyone interested in amalia should see . but it not a perfect or definitive work on the subject .