Directed by Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher
Produced by Rudi Dolezal and Jim Beach
Narration written by Simon Witter
This is the first major documentary profiling the
life of Freddie Mercury, telling the story of his early life in
Zanzibar and India, his early days in England, his life in Queen,
his solo projects and collaboration with Montserrat Caballe, and
his illness and death. It features contributions from many people
closest to Freddie, including his mother Jer Bulsara, sister
Kashmira Cooke, Brian May, Roger Taylor, long term partner Jim
Hutton, former girlfriend and longterm friend Mary Austin,
personal assistant Peter Freestone, best friend Peter Straker,
and numerous other people who knew Freddie socially or through
Queen projects.
There are two full versions of the documentary, but it was also
edited and adapted for TV
Broadcast, aswell as a short trailer,
released on the Italian and Dutch 'Guide Me Home' CD single.
Essentially the two full documentaries are the same, but there
are differences, as they feature different narration (the
re-released documentary has narration by actor Sean Pertwee) and
have a slightly different selection of interviews.
The original documentary was released in November 2000 as part of
the 'Freddie Mercury: Solo' boxed set. It features the
documentary in normal sound, and also features a DVD-Rom section,
featuring an interactive 'Freddie Mercury Photographic
Exhibition', where viewers can 'walk' around a virtual
photographic exhibition.
The re-released documentary was released in September 2006 as
part of the 'Lover Of
Life, Singer Of Songs' DVD. The disc adds a 'Making Of The
Untold Story' 18 minute featurette, which has behind the scenes
footage of the filming of the documentary. It also adds subtitles
(in English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and
Italian) and four sound options: normal (stereo), normal (without
narration), 5.1 surround sound, and director's commentary (by
Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher).
The guide below aims to highlight the differences between the
documentaries, with the headers identifying the chapter points
for each. The footage highlighted in blue only appears in the
original documentary, while the footage highlighted in red only
appears in the reissued documentary. The chapter names are as
they appear in the original documentary.
One item of particular interest is a short extract of Man
Made Paradise which appears to be an early version which is
unavailable elsewhere.
Original DVD Chapter 1 / Re-release DVD Chapter 1 Spice Island Dawn (early days in Zanzibar and leaving for
boarding school)
Recreated footage of the young Freddie on stage at
school, mixed with footage of the singalong at Live Aid
Introductory credits - Queen photo gallery, with slow
piano version of 'Guide Me Home', and some interview
snippets with Freddie
Introduction to documentary, with footage of Zanzibar,
excerpt of 'Going Back', and interviews with Jer Bulsara
(Freddie's mother) and a former school friend
Interview with Kashmira Cooke (Freddie's sister)
Re-release DVD Chapter 2
Interview with Jer Bulsara, footage of Zanzibar and
interviews with a hospital nurse and Jer Bulsara, with
early photographs (and a piano version of 'You Take My
Breath Away')
Footage of Zanzibar, with excerpts of 'Guide Me Home',
'Chinese Torture', 'My Melancholy Blues', and interview
with Jer Bulsara(and Freddie interview snippet)
Interviews with the island's photographer, Freddie's
cousin, with an excerpt of 'Exercises In Free Love', and
a Parsee theologist about the faith,with footage of a
religious ceremony and further narrationand traditional
Parsee music
Re-release DVD Chapter 3
Further interviews with Freddie's schoolfriend and
sister, with a slow piano version of 'Heaven For
Everyone', about music and fashions
Original DVD Chapter 2 Strange Discipline (journey to Boarding School, about the city
and school)
Narration about Freddie's journey to his boarding school,
with excerpts of 'Love Kills' (extended version) and
'Mustapha'
Interview with the current headmaster of Freddie's school
about Freddie's school life.
Recreations of Freddie's early school life, with piano
version of 'There Must Be More To Life Than This', and
interviews with Jer Bulsara, Kashmira Cookeand Freddie
Re-release DVD Chapter 4
Excerpts of 'Mustapha' and 'Exercises In Free Love', and
interview with Freddie's aunt about having piano lessons
Interviews with Freddie's school friends, and footage of
a choir meeting
Footage of the school, with an excerpt of the album
version of 'There Must Be More To Life Than This', then
interviews with Freddie's aunt and his art teacher's
daughter, about art
Further interviews with his school friends, with early
photographs and a recreation of a 'Hectics' concert (this
was Freddie's first band; they perform Paul Anka's
'Diana'), and an interview with his teacher
Further interview with a schoolfriend, with piano
versions of 'Guide Me Home' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody', and
footage of rural India
Original DVD Chapter 3 / Re-release DVD Chapter 5 Culture Shock (the family's move to London and Freddie's time at
college)
Narrative details about the family fleeing to England,
interviews with Jer Bulsara, Peter Freestone and Kashmira
Cooke, piano version of 'Love Of My Life', and some of
Freddie's early paintings, and narration about Freddie
getting his A-Levelwith additional Freddie interview
Original DVD Chapter 4 The Draftsman of Ealing (Freddie's drawing and designs)
Excerpt of 'Love Kills' (Wolf Euro remix), narrative
details of Freddie's life at Ealing School of Art, and
interviews with Jerry Hibbert (college friend and
animator), John Taylor (bass player with Ibex and
Wreckage), Derek Bridges (college friend), Peter Straker
(one of Freddie's closest friends) and Jer Bulsara, with
more paintings and photographs
Excerpt of 'The Millionaire Waltz' with footage of
Freddie's drawings and paintings, and interviews with
Brian May, John Taylor, Peter Straker and Kashmira Cooke
about his artistic ability
Excerpt of 'Good Old Fashioned Loverboy', shots of
Freddie's fashion designs, and interviews with Jer
Bulsara, Freddie, Roger,Brian May, Derek Bridges and
Jerry Hibbert
Original DVD Chapter 5 / Re-release DVD Chapter 6 Musical Awakenings (Smile, Ibex and Wreckage)
Excerpt of 'Keep Passing The Open Windows', early photos
of Freddie, interviews with Brian May, Jerry Hibbert, and
Tim Staffell (lead singer of Smile), and excerpt of 'You
Take My Breath Away'
Excerpt of 'Green' (Wreckage), details of Freddie joining
Ibex, with photos of the band, and interview with John
Taylor about his campness and using a half microphone
stand
Footage of Smile from the Royal Albert Hall, with excerpt
of 'Doing Alright', and interviews with Tim Staffell,
John Taylor and Brian May about Smile
Excerpt of 'My Fairy King', and interviews with Tim
Staffell, Brian May, Mary Austin, and Freddie about
early musical style and Freddie changing his name
Original DVD Chapter 6 / Re-release DVD Chapter 7 Love Of My Life (Mary Austin and Freddie's Sexuality)
Excerpt of 'Somebody To Love', with early photos of
Freddie, and interviews with Mick Rock (photographer),
Mary Austin, Brian May and Freddie Mercury, about Freddie
and Mary's early friendship
Narration about Freddie's sexuality, piano version of
'Love Of My Life', and interview with Mary Austin
Original DVD Chapter 7 / Re-release DVD Chapter 8 Bacchus And Aphrodite (Queen & Freddie's wild parties)
Interviews with Tim Rice (lyricist), Peter Straker and
Diana Moseley (costume designer), with footage of the
'Living On My Own' and excerpt of 'Let's Turn It On'
(1992 Remix), and interviews with James 'Trip' Khalaf
(sound engineer), Mick Rock, Barbara Valentin (one of
Freddie's closest friends), Mike Moran (keyboardist), and
Jim Hutton
Excerpt of 'Get Down Make Love', footage of Freddie,
interviews with Mick Rock and Brian May, footage from
'The Great Pretender' video shoot, and interviews with
Peter Freestone, Jim Hutton, Mary Austin, Diana Moseley
and Peter Straker
Excerpt of 'Man Made Paradise' (unreleased version then
album version), and interviews with Jim Hutton, Freddie,
and Mary Austin
Excerpt of 'Your Kind Of Lover', with photographs of
Freddie, and interviews with Freddie and Jim Hutton
Original DVD Chapter 8 / Re-release DVD Chapter 9 Butterflies and Peacocks (Freddie's image and stage costumes)
Excerpt of 'It's So You', shots of stage costumes, and
interviews with Zandra Rhodes, Mary Austin, Brian May and
Diana Moseley
Footage of the 'I Was Born To Love You' video, interview
with Diana Moseley, footage of 'One Vision' and 'God Save
The Queen' from Wembley 1986, and interviews with Ian
Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and Peter Freestone
Original DVD Chapter 9 / Re-release DVD Chapter 10 A Day At The Opera (Freddie's videos, opera and Barcelona)
Excerpt of 'Barcelona' with footage of 'I Want To Break
Free' (the promo video opera section), and interviews
with Montserrat Caballe and Peter Freestone, with still
photographs of Montserrat and excerpts of her singing
Interview with Mike Moran, excerpt of 'Ensueno' and
footage of Barcelona, and interviews with Freddie, Peter
Freestone, Montserrat, and excerpts from tracks from the
Garden Lodge improvisation tape
Footage of Freddie & Montserrat miming 'Barcelona' at
Ibiza 1987, and interviews with Freddie, Montserrat, Tim
Rice, Mike Moran and David Richards
Original DVD Chapter 10 / Re-release DVD Chapter 11 My Kind Of Towns (Life in Munich and New York, and about the Mr
Bad Guy album)
Excerpt of 'New York', footage of New York, interviews of
Reinhold Mack (Queen producer/engineer), Walter
Yetnikoff (record boss for the USA), excerpt of 'Let's
Turn It On', footage of Munich, and interview with Peter
Freestone, about Freddie living in New York
Excerpt of 'Staying Power', interview with Freddie, and
footage of Freddie around Munich or New York, footage of
Freddie on stage, and interview with Walter Yetnikoff
Excerpt of 'Mr Bad Guy', with studio footage from 'The
Making Of One Vision', and interviews with Walter
Yetnikoff and Freddie
Excerpt of 'Life Is Real', and interviews with Reinhold
Mack and Freddie
Excerpt of 'New York', footage of the city, and
interviews with Mick Rock and Peter Freestone
Original DVD Chapter 11 / Re-release DVD Chapter 12 Last Days (Freddie's illness and last days)
Footage of Montreux, and interviews with Mary Austin, Jim
Hutton, Kashmira Cooke, Peter Freestone, Roger Taylor,
and Montserrat, about Freddie revealing his illness
Piano version of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', interviews with
Mary Austin, Jim Hutton, Jer Bulsara and Kashmira Cooke,
and footage of Montreux
Interviews with Mike Moran, Peter Freestone, Jim Hutton, Roger Taylor,Diana Moseley, Kashmira Cooke, Mary Austin,
with piano version of 'Guide Me Home', and footage of
Garden Lodge
Interviews with Peter Freestone, Diana Moseley, Mary
Austin and Jim Hutton, with footage of the 'Queen Photo
Gallery'
Re-release DVD Chapter 13
Continued piano version of 'Guide Me Home', and
interviews with Mary Austin, Kashmira Cooke and Jim
Hutton
Slow, piano version of 'In My Defence', with photographs
of Freddie and interview snippets
Re-release DVD Chapter 14
'In My Defence' promo video, and credits
The documentary includes many piano versions of Queen and
Freddie tracks, performed by French pianist Thierry Lang or Mike
Moran.
Enhanced Trailer
Version
Only available on the 'Guide Me Home' Dutch and Italian Enhanced
CD singles, released in 2000.
Length 12:52.
Directed by Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher
Produced by Rudi Dolezal and Jim Beach
This is a short 'taster' version of the original documentary,
with content as follows:
Introductory credits - Queen photo gallery, with slow
piano version of 'Guide Me Home'
Footage of Zanzibar, excerpt of 'Going Back',
introduction to the documentary, and interview with Jer
Bulsara (Freddie's mother)
Footage of Freddie's old school, with an excerpt of
'There Must Be More To Life Than This'
Interview with one of Freddie's school friends, with
footage of India, and a piano version of 'Bohemian
Rhapsody'
Excerpt of 'The Millionaire Waltz', footage of Freddie's
drawings and paintings, and interview with Brian May
Interviews with Tim Rice (lyricist), Peter Straker and
Diana Moseley (costume designer), excerpt of 'Let's Turn
It On' (1992 Remix), footage of the 'Living On My Own'
video, and interviews with James 'Trip' Khalaf (sound
engineer) and Mick Rock
Excerpt of 'It's So You', shots of stage costumes, and
interview with Zandra Rhodes
Footage of Montreux, interview with Montserrat, piano
version of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', and interviews with Mary
Austin, Peter Freestone, Diana Moseley
Piano version of 'Guide Me Home', interviews with Jim
Hutton, footage of the 'Queen Photo Gallery', and
interviews with Mary Austin and Kashmira Cooke
Slow, piano version of 'In My Defence', with photographs
of Freddie and interview snippets
