Mark Oliver Everett, aka E, previously collaborated with Judd Apatow by acting in the director/producer's Netflix series Love. Now Apatow is making a documentary about the Eels leader.
The Way I Was Made: The Story Of A Man Called E is produced by Apatow alongside Robert Schwartzman and directed by Gus Black. Here's the synopsis:
THE WAY I WAS MADE is an intimate and emotionally powerful portrait of an artist’s unwavering pursuit of creative integrity in the face of profound personal tragedy. As a teenager, Everett discovered his brilliant but troubled father dead. Years later, just as his dreams of becoming a musician began to take shape, he lost both his sister and his mother in devastating succession. Confronted with unimaginable grief, Everett chose not the pursuit of fame, but a deeply personal artistic path — transforming loss into one of the most heart-achingly beautiful and critically acclaimed catalogs in modern music.
"E's story is a truly unique and compelling tale of an American original," Black says. "Shaped by harrowing circumstances, he chose to forge his own artistic path. One full of jarring twists, dark turns, and unexpectedly bright forecasts."
Apatow adds, "I've always thought E's story would make for a fantastic documentary. I am confused by why it has taken this long."
"Writing music and lyrics can be a powerful form of medicine. It's rare that a music story so honestly explores the intersection of songwriting and mental health," Schwartzman says. "Everyone at Utopia was immediately drawn to Gus Black’s deeply human telling of the EELS story. It takes real courage to be this vulnerable about such personal chapters of E’s life, and we’re proud to stand behind that honesty."
Eels' 1996 hit "Novocaine For The Soul" was the subject of our Alternative Number Ones column earlier this week.
