"I would like my parents to have their seats up front." "Dear, the whole town has come to see you." "You're brilliant." "You don't wanna let them down." "Okay?" "I'm not playing unless they do." "Interviewer:" "Miss Simone, you really the first ever to blend jazz, classical, and blues, but" "I believe you call it black classical." "Who were your musical influences?" "Well, of course, I was trained as a classical pianist since I was three." "I started at Julliard and that's where" "I learned about Bach and Mozart and Chopin, and those are the artists that I return to, you see?" "Yes, and yet you became a club singer." "After Julliard, I was denied entrance into the Curtis institute because I was black." "I'd hope to continue studying, playing classical music, but I was not allowed to." "So I went to Atlanta to try to make to try to make some money, so that I can apply again." "But they didn't want a black woman to play the piano, to play classical music." "They wanted her to sing because..." "That's what we do, isn't it?" "Lawyer:" "I know you've come a long way to be here, unfortunately, whatever money miss Simone felt was owed to her simply isn't." "I wish it were different, but we've reviewed as many of your contracts as we could find and it looks like the royalties to your songs were sold a long time ago." "He stole my money and I want it." "I sang those songs, I lived that life, that's my porgy money and they're taking it from me." "Nina, this is a fight we've been fighting for years." "It's over." "What are you talking about, Henri?" "Just what I said, darling." "Tell him to give me my fucking money." "Excuse us, sir, let's go." "Give me my money." "Henry:" "Jesus Christ, Nina!" "You tell them to give me my money, tell him to give me my money!" "Sorry about this." "Whoa whoa whoa!" "You're not going anywhere!" "All the way back, let's go!" " Nina:" "Hey!" " Officer:" "Stop resisting!" "Nina:" "Let me go!" "No, no!" "Doctor:" "She's a diagnosed alcoholic, diagnosed manic depressive, diagnosed mild paranoia, severe dysfunction when off medication, moderate to good function when medicated." "When she was brought in, she had a money belt with $8,000 in it." "She had to be restrained." "The police are placing her on a 24 hour hold." "After that, it's up to her how long she stays." "Nurse 1:" "Who is she again?" "Nurse 2:" "Nina Simone." "Oh, I know that name." "Who is that?" "Never heard of her." "Clifton:" "Hello, miss Simone." "My name is Clifton." "Just gonna prep you for your shot." "Wait wait wait, what is that?" "Take your medication." "If you do, it'll take the flag off your file, you won't be restrained for meal times, showers, or recreation." "Where you from?" "Chicago." "Well, welcome to California." "It's so nice here." "Miss Simone." "Nina:" "Go ahead, I'm taking my meds," "I'm cooperating, I'm a good patient." "Nurse:" "There." "Would I sell you anything, the way I look?" "Man on TV:" "Honey, you're right, you're absolutely right." "Clifton." "Where's my money?" "The money they took from me, where is it?" "It's in the safe with your other stuff." "Can you check on it for me?" "Uh-huh." "Thanks." "You seem better." "Yeah?" "Hey." "You know I'm famous." "What?" "Do you know who I am?" "Yeah." "Yeah?" "I think my mother used to listen to you." "Good." "I hope it's okay for me to say this, but nothing's really keeping you here," "I mean you can leave." "You should leave." "Hi." "Took your advice." "I'm leaving." " Wow." " Mmhm." "Good for you." "I want you to come with me to France as my assistant." "What?" "I will pay you $2,000 a month, plus room and board." "In return, you take care of all my affairs." "You don't believe me, do you?" "I can't take that." "I can't take this." "Nina:" "Plane leaves at 9 am." "Nina:" "It's France, baby!" "France is better." "Better than this." "Will you get some champagne and bring it upstairs?" "This is all I could find." "Come on, let me see." "You want me to make the bed?" "No, I'm too tired." "Clifton, I need a drink!" "I was clean for 30 days in that goddamn hospital." "I want a drink right now." "There you are, and please do my bed." "You've been in it all day." "I know that, isn't that what you do?" "Okay." "Now, please get me something to drink first." "There's nothing here." "Well, then go get something!" "You need to eat something first." "Listen, motherfucker, you work for me, okay?" "!" "I pay you!" "I'm not your patient, now please go get me something to drink." "Then come upstairs and do my bed!" "Champagne!" "Clifton:" "Hi." "Nina:" "Good morning." "I brought you some food and your medication." "I didn't ask for any of that." "Well, you need it, you can't take your meds on an empty stomach." "You shouldn't drink on an empty stomach." "Since when?" "What are you waiting for?" "Nothing." "Hey, hey, hey, take it with you." "I told you I don't want it, baby." "Nina:" "Motherfucker!" "Nina:" "Stop watering down my champagne!" "You don't think I could tell the difference?" "!" "Expensive bottle of champagne, motherfucker putting water in it." "Interviewer:" "How do you manage to balance these two different things, you have beautiful, tender love songs and very intense, angry political songs." "When I first started singing which, as you know, I didn't want to do, but I had to so that I can make money," "back then I only sang about love because I didn't have it as a child." "Of course I'm black, so I had to sing about that too." "And then I had to sing about them both." "That's the only explanation I have for that." " Hi." " Hi." "What is that?" "Lunch." "You don't give up, do you?" "I don't want lunch!" "I want a drink, not that." "All right, well I'll just leave it here." "No, take it with you." "Pills." "Don't want them." "Clifton:" "Make sure you eat first!" "I'll eat." "But I'm not gonna take the drugs." "I don't like the way they make me feel, baby." "They stabilize you." "I don't wanna be stabilized." "I wanna feel free, really free." "You can understand that." "Yeah I do, Nina." "I do." "All right." "All right." "Clifton:" "Nina." "What?" "You have a daughter, right?" "From your first marriage?" "Yes I do." "Clifton:" "Where is she?" "She's in New York." "She's grown now." "Nina:" "Test." "This song is inspired by the most talented, elegant playwright, miss Lorraine "raisin in the sun" Hansberry." "My muse, my inspiration, my friend." "Baby, I wrote it for you." "No, you wrote it because you had to." "Yes." "Come here." "Hello?" "Henri:" "This is Henri Edwards, I'm Nina's manager." "Oh, hey." "Henri:" "I got an offer from a club in Paris for next Friday." "It'll pay a lot of money, so make sure she's ready." "She's not in any condition yet to perform." "She's drinking, not taking her medication." "Very volatile." "Henri:" "Know that, that's what she is." "She's a fucked up alcoholic drug addict, but people will still pay money to see her." "I'll fax you the details, huh?" "Make sure you get her there." "This fucking manager hands me a set list." "14 songs, I have to play five, maybe six songs, 14 would take us an hour and a half, maybe even two, but it's fucking Nina Simone, man." "I'm not gonna show this to her because she will actually kill me." "You know what, you show it to her." "Just fucking do something, ," "I really do wish you good luck 'cause you're gonna fucking need it." "Shit." "Man:" "This is for you?" "Hi, Mr. Edwards, I'm Clifton, Nina's assistant." " Hi." " Is Nina ready?" "It's the playlist." "What?" "It's too long for Nina." "She's acting up again?" "The band isn't happy either." "Man:" "If they're not happy..." "She'll be fine." "No, she won't." "Listen, if she cannot perform an hour half, it's on you." "She's been performing for 20 years." "She can do 10 songs." "It's 14, it's 14 songs." "Clifton, is that your name?" "Clifton:" "Yeah." "Don't even pretend you have the balls to stand up to me." "Or to her." "You take the playlist, you put it on the piano, you put her in front of the piano, you tell the band to shut the fuck up." "What you don't understand is she needs this gig." "Don't blow it for her." "Okay?" "Nina!" " What are you doing?" "!" " Talk now, motherfucker!" "My time here is over!" "It's all fucking done!" "Singing to corpses!" "What are you looking at?" "!" "Talk now, motherfuckers!" "Clifton:" "You okay?" "Thanks for taking your meds." "What happened, Nina?" "Why are you here and not in America?" "Why do you keep your money under your mattress and not in a bank account?" "Why are you playing in front of 100 people and not 20,000?" "Too much loss." "I lost my family, my people, my country, my money, my dreams." "I lost it all." "Don't be afraid of me." "Interviewer:" "You've been an ex-patriot since 1970." "Nina:" "Being an outspoken black woman," "I feared for my life in America." "That was my feeling then, but now I realize it's only normal to want acceptance for one's own country, for ones gifts that god has given you." "And I'm tired of begging for it." "But you do get a lot of love when you perform though, I mean people, of course they love you." "Yeah, I do, I get a lot of love." "But not enough." "Come on, wake up." "Wake up." "Let's go to nice." "You should see me in nice." "I'm a star in nice, come on." "Yes, yes, yes, let's go!" "Come on, go!" "This is my Clifton." "My dear friends, let's make a toast." "To friends." "Guests:" "Cheers." "And to gatherings." "I only got water." "It's okay, you can toast with whatever you want, baby." "You're with me." "Nina Simone." "Merci, Merci." "I'm shy." "All right." "Want me to take your shoes off?" "Take it off." "Nina." "Baby, come on, stop with the bullshit and just fuck me already, come on." " Nina, stop." " Come on." "Stop." "Go get me Stefan from the bar downstairs." "Go, faggot." "Get me a real man." "There's this beautiful black boy in the valley." "Ask him if he'd like to have dinner with us tonight." "Whatever you say." "Cheers." "Where the hell have you been?" "I've been calling you." "What, are you packed already?" "I'm not going back with you." "I'm gonna go get the bellhop." "I'm going home to Chicago." " You're not going to Chicago." " Clifton:" "Yes, I am." "We have a contract, you don't break the contract." "Doesn't include me being your pimp." "Pimp?" "Think I need a pimp?" " Hmm?" " No." "I don't think you need a pimp." "Don't go, Clifton." "Take care." "Don't go." "Clifton!" "Clifton." "Nina:" "Hello?" "Cousier:" "Nina, it's doctor Cousier." "Uh huh." "Cousier:" "I've called you several times over the last few months and..." "You need to know." "The results of the biopsy are serious." "We need to do something about it." "We need to do it soon." "Okay." "Cousier:" "You must come in to see me, please." "Bye." "Are you still sleeping?" "It's 11 o'clock." "What about that job interview?" "Did you go on it?" "Not yet." "Yeah?" "Shut the front door." "This where Clifton grew up?" "Well, it's where the Clifton tried to grow up." "Clifton's a good boy." "He is." "I just can't believe you are in our house." "You know, I have all your music." "I do." "Growing up, Clifton must've heard these records a million times." "Nina Simone at Carnegie hall and Nina Simone..." "Let me see that." "I haven't seen this in a long time." "Mother:" "Nina Simone:" "Silk and soul." "This one." "I never ever took this one off my record player." "It's got the song "four women"." "Mom." "Mom, stop." "Honey." "This has got the song on it that kept us marching." ""Mississippi"." "Made me believe that we had a chance." "Until we didn't." "President on TV:" "America is shocked and saddened by the brutal slaying tonight of doctor Martin Luther King." "I ask every citizen to reject the blind violence that has struck doctor king who lived by nonviolence." "Nina:" "Those motherfuckers." "Nina, what are you doing?" " I'mma kill them all." " What are you doing?" "What do you think I'm doing?" " The fuck you think I'm doing?" "!" " Nina, stop!" "Stop, Nina!" "Do what you do." "You do what you do." "You wanna have dinner with me tonight?" " Mom:" "That sounds so nice." " Mom." "Mom:" "Thank you." "Dad:" "Yeah, it would be our pleasure, and I know just the place." "I'm gonna sing a song for you." "All right, all right." "Clifton, go tell them I want to sing." "Well, you're my manager." "I wanted to wait until the entire family was here to tell you." "Clifton is now my manager." "Shit, boy." "That's good, congratulations." "Why do you think I came all this way?" "You're now my manager." "Let's see if they recognize me." "Musician:" "Check that out, man." "Musician:" "Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we have a legend in the house." "Nina Simone is here, and I think she wants to do something with us." "Musician:" "Nina Simone!" "Nina Simone, people!" "Mom:" "That gave me the chills!" "Dad:" "That was really something, miss Simone." "Mom:" "I love that song!" "Dad:" "That was really something, huh?" "What you think?" "Well, you played beautiful." "Is that what you think?" "That you put a spell on me?" "That's not enough." "He's already talking like a manager." "A toast." "To Clifton Henderson, the manager." " Mom:" "To Clifton." " Dad:" "To my son." "I'm happy he's got a job." "What's going on, Clifton?" "What do you mean?" "I mean what's going on?" "Nothing's going on." "Nina Simone followed you all the way here from France, so come on baby, you gonna tell me there ain't nothing going on?" "That's what I'm telling you, nothing." "Mom:" "Well, from what I see, she needs you." "Baby, no, no, no, please, I have a headache all over my head." "Bring me some Nutella and a spoon please." "What are you looking for?" "Don't sneak up on me like that!" "Where are my earrings?" "!" "I have them." "You're lying!" "You gave them to me when we went through the metal detector, remember?" "Oh." "What am I supposed to manage?" "What are you talking about?" "Why am I back here, Nina?" "I won't make it." "Yes you will." "You don't understand." "Then tell me." "It's so damn bright in here, Clifton." "What is it with you and this damn light all the time?" "!" "I put the sheets up, you take them down!" "I don't like so much sunlight!" "Nina." "I can make this happen, but I need your help." "No." "I'll try." "Allison:" "Hello?" "Hi, my name is Clifton Henderson," "I represent Nina Simone, I was calling..." "Allison:" "Fuck Nina Simone!" "The last time she was here is the last time she will ever be here!" "Tell that fucking diva she can suck my..." "Craig:" "Hello?" "Hi, this is Clifton Henderson, I represent Nina Simone, i..." "Nina:" "Clifton, I can't find any cigarettes!" "Mr. Edwards, thanks for meeting me." "I appreciate it." "As you probably know, I'm Nina's manager now." "I heard, congratulations." "You know how much money I made in the last five years?" "Fucking nothing." "You're not gonna be her manager, you're her nurse." "She's in bad shape physically, financially, and mentally." "I understand that." "But here's my problem." "Locally, I just can't get anyone to book her." "Henri:" "That's no surprise." "Look, I love her, and she knows it." "But she's just not a good investment." "Look, there's no question a lot of people wanna see Nina Simone perform, me included." "I had a thought." "I was thinking about her going back home to the states and doing a free concert in central park." "Bring the people back to her." "What do you think?" "Henri:" "Central park?" "Who do you think she is, Barbra Streisand?" "Why not?" "Are you sleeping with her?" "No." "All right." "Look, I'm not gonna help you, there's nothing in it for me." "She's mean, crazy, drinks, smokes, out of shape." "I understand." "Henri:" "Even her voice isn't what it was." "All I need from you is some advice." "She has to deliver truth again." "If she does, she can do whatever she wants." "She's Nina Simone." "That's my advice, clean her up." "Clifton:" "Hey." "Hey, did you bring my ice cream?" "Rum raisin?" "No." "How you feeling?" "Nina:" "I'm fine." "No ice cream?" "Wanna go to the gym?" "No!" "Come on." "Like this, it's good for your diaphragm." "Where are we going?" "Nowhere." "We're just walking." "That's stupid." "It's good for your heart." "Like that's gonna fix it." "I need a cigarette." "It's too sunny, I'm leaving." "Clifton:" "Nina!" "That's it, all the way back, here we go." "You got it." "Clifton:" "Where are you going?" "!" "I'm exercising." "On my own." "Miss Laroche?" "Hello, Mr. Henderson." "Hi, Clifton." "Come in." "Laroche:" "Miss Simone, it's great to meet you." "It truly is." "So how do we get started?" "Laroche:" "Well, Mr. Henderson said you just want to get your voice in shape and increase its endurance and..." "Who's paying you?" "You are." "No, I'm not." "Stop this crap." "I told you get me a stage, I will do the rest." "Clifton:" "Bonjour, this is Clifton Henderson," "I represent Nina Simone." "Man on the phone:" "Is she sober?" "Of course she's sober." "No I'm not." "Man:" "Because what I've heard is she's still impossible and sounds like shit." "Clifton:" "No, no, she sounds great." "Yeah right, listen, I'm gonna tell you something important." "Lose my fucking number and never call here again!" "Hi, I represent Nina Simone, I'm..." "Woman:" "Oh, we love her!" " Nina Simone!" " Yeah." "Woman:" "Will you please hold a moment?" "Yeah, I'll hold." "Woman:" "I will get our calendar." "Clifton:" "Nina!" "Nina, we gotta go." "Get in the water with me." "Come swim with me." "Nope, gotta go." "I don't wanna go, you're such an old man." "Come on!" "This is helping my headache." "We gotta go." "I worked really hard to get this, Nina, come on, out of the pool." "Okay." "Clifton:" "We have to go." "Ladies and gentlemen, Nina Simone." "When you sing," "I've never seen anything like it." "Never felt anything like it, I mean..." "You're different." "You're just different." "I'm not different." "Yes you are." "Nina:" "I'm not different!" "You think I'm different?" "Do I look different to you?" "I am me!" "And the only time anybody can ever deal with me is when my power is channeled through my music!" "That's too motherfucking bad." "I know who I am, I'm a black woman!" "That's who I am." "I'm not different, motherfucker." "You're different." "You're pretty." "I'm sorry." "Many of your songs are about freedom, and I wonder, what is freedom to you?" "I'll tell you what freedom means to me." "No fear." "I mean really, no fear." "If I could have that half of my life, no fear..." "Interviewer:" "What are you afraid of?" "Hello?" "How are you, lover?" "Richard:" "Nina, can you imagine?" "First I've lit my shit up with this crack pipe." "Now, this ms shit is fucking me up." "Something's gotta get us, baby." "Richard:" "Yeah, but this shit is crazy." "Man, I miss being on stage even though I was so scared all the time, remember?" "Nina:" "Yeah, I remember." "Announcer:" "Village gate is proud to present a very talented lineup tonight of music and soul!" "But first, our young comedian out of Illinois," "Mr. Richard Pryor!" "When you see a woman standing across the hallway and she's got a cigarette, and you wanna light it, but you forgot where you put your matches, and you're..." " Right?" "I miss that shit, I love it, man." "But enough about me." "What's new with you, baby?" "I met a boy." "I have a boy with me." "You got the boys, you got the girls." "He's different." "He doesn't drink." "He'll never hit me." "That means he's not fucking you." "You're right, he's not." "Nina:" "He takes care of me." "I keep pushing him away though." "Nina, you're scared of something." "I am." "Clifton!" "Clifton:" "Yeah!" "Where are you?" "Clifton:" "Right here." "Get me a studio." "I want to record some music." "Yeah." "Yup." "Hey guys." "Man:" "Hey." "Man:" "Hi, Nina." " Yeah." " At the chart, yeah?" " Okay." " It's good to see you." "It's good to see you too." " I hope it good to be seen." " Thank you for coming." "Yes, yes, wanna start?" "Man:" "Miss Simone." "Need anything?" " No, I'm good." " All right." "Keep your eyes on me." "Just watch me when we start and you're gonna be all right." "From the top." "So, we'll take it from the top." "Nothing too big." "...over here." "Okay boys, how's the sound in the booth?" "Sound technician:" "Sounds great, Nina." "Oh." "Baby, it's okay." "You're used to me already?" "Think that would be impossible." "You were great tonight." "It was fun." "So much fun." "Dance with me." "What?" "You wouldn't swim with me, dance with me." "...What, here?" "Why not?" "Okay." "Okay." "There's no music." "We heard music all day." "Thank you for the dance." "Hello?" "Cousier:" "Hello, I'm looking for Nina Simone." "Who's this?" "Cousier:" "This is doctor Cousier." "Is she there?" "She's here, but she's busy." "Can she call you back?" "Cousier:" "Well, she was supposed to call me back and did not." "It's important." "Well, I take care of all of Nina's affairs." "You can talk to me." "Cousier:" "Okay, well then there's certain things you should know." "Nina:" "I felt so good after recording." "Why didn't you tell me?" "Tell you what?" "That was your doctor on the phone." "A doctor I didn't know you had." "You were supposed to come back in to start your fucking treatment?" "It's my life, Clifton." "It always has been." "If 30 years of alcohol, drugs, and mental illness have not killed me, this won't." "What?" "I don't get it." "I have seen you go ballistic over your pasta not being al dente." "Would it make you feel better if I did?" "I'm tired, Clifton." "My pasta means more to me than this fucking bullshit." "But I do like your central park idea." " Cousier:" "How are you?" " Good." "So..." "Can I travel?" "Where, and for how long?" "America for a week?" "A month?" "Nina, the situation is critical." "You waited a long time to come in, too long." "You need surgery, Nina, and you need it soon." "Do you understand?" "Does it matter?" "Really?" "It matters to me." "And it matters to the people who love you." "Cousier:" "Scalpel." "Around here is a slight infection started from the iv, I just wanna watch it." "No, it's okay." "We'll watch it." "Yeah, but it is infected." "How do you know this?" "I'm a nurse." "Clifton:" "We'll get through this." "You're the strongest woman I know." "Interviewer:" "You are a strong voice in the fight against racial inequality." "In fact, Eldridge cleaver once said that you are the soundtrack for the civil rights movement in America." "Can you talk about that a little?" "Well, darling, I've had my heart broken many times, and the death of Martin Luther King and of that movement was one of them." "Why do you say that?" "Do you feel the movement failed?" "No, no I don't, I think the United States failed." "My country failed my people, my people failed me, and that's why I'm here." "Interviewer:" "Well, it is our gain, I must say." "Quiet." " That's good." " Ow." "Okay, I gotta go." "I'll see you in a few hours." "I'm going to the pharmacy." "Girl on the tape:" "Hello, miss Simone." "My mother recently passed away." "I just wanted you to know how important your music was to her." "I'm sending you a picture you autographed for her and a necklace she used to wear back then." "This was my mother's favorite song." "I made this for her before she died." "Girl on the tape:" "Thank you for all you meant to my mother." "I hope you'll play in America again." "I'd like to see you." "Nina!" "So, how are you feeling?" "I'm broke." "I see, so you want me to manage you again." "No." "Clifton's my manager." "So why are you here?" "I wanna play in America again." "Clifton secured central park." "Aha, I see." "Nina:" "But he needs collateral." "Sure, I could help," "I could make a call, but why should I?" "All the promoters think you're a five star asshole, Nina." "What does that have to do with playing music, Henri?" "Nothing, if you wanna play in your living room, you can be as big an asshole you want there." "Hey, hey, hey, I'm not saying no," "I'm saying show me that you give a shit, show me you're not gonna knife someone, that you can handle it." "Nina:" "I can handle it!" "Okay, okay, when do you wanna play?" "Clifton:" "There are thousands of people out there." "Just for you." "Nina:" "Thank you, Clifton." "Are you ready?" "Are you, Nina?" "You know I am." "Woman:" "Miss Simone, it's time." "Announcer:" "Returning to the central park stage, the high priestess of soul," "Nina Simone!" "I wanna thank you so much for being here." "Woman in the audience:" "We love you, Nina!" "Coming home to you feels really good."