Cool Hunting

Like many obsessions, Margaret Brown's fascination with Townes Van Zandt began with one song. After a friend played her the folk singer's "Waiting Round to Die," she bought all the records she could get her hands on. The resulting documentary, Be Here to Love Me is the kind of work that can only come from an artist's devotion, much in the way that Townes "lived his life his own way." Lush cinematography, archival photographs and home movies, interviews, and live performances make up the film about the "songwriter's songwriter," educating audiences about an off-the-radar American legend. Brown's affectionate and candid take touches on addiction, male identity, the 60s, celebrity, and the American dream; it's a story that unfolds like a roadtrip, with discovery and time for reflection along the way. Currently on tour at art houses in the U.S., check the website for dates and to buy one of the limited edition silkscreened posters ($30, pictured).