SLIFF: Ellis

Ellis
Directed by Sascha Just
U.S | 2022 | Documentary
96 minutes

Chronicling the life of Ellis Marsalis Jr., the film follows the exceptional New Orleans composer, performer, and educator. “Ellis” explores the profound influence that New Orleans had on him – and that he had on the jazz that came out of the city. It is also a story of how one man transcended the racial injustices he faced from his birth during segregation to his death from COVID-19. Made with the full cooperation of the Ellis Marsalis estate, “Ellis” is told from an insider perspective with never-before-seen footage. The film interweaves Ellis' accomplishments with key threads of American cultural history, placing him in a historical context as someone who was both deeply affected by the world around him, and who, by responding to it, helped to shape that world.