Chic’s Nile Rodgers Toasts Fans in ‘We Are Family’ – Premiere
In April, Nile Rodgers threw a pre-concert bash for fans at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. The Madonna and David Bowie producer and guitarist was preparing to play with Chic, but he took the opportunity to hang with fans first.
As he’s battled prostate cancer, Rodgers has established a special relationship with fans through his blog, and he describes them as his “e-family.” Director Astrid Edwards, herself a fan, reached out to Rodgers to create We Are Family, a glimpse into the meaning of fandom.
“I love the timeless, optimistic spirit of me and my disco generation compadres at a quasi-outlaw party captured on camera like this. This film is pretty damn cool!” Rodgers tells Rolling Stone.
Adds Edwards, “I always imagined it in my head from the start to be black and white. It’s a sort of mini-homage to a few of the great American documentary directors I grew up idolizing: Frederick Wiseman, Albert Maysles, William Klein and Bruce Weber. It’s a little nod to that raw sensibility and one that sits well with the subject matter.”