A bittersweet tale of both triumph and heartbreak, this intimate new documentary reveals the story of an unapologetic rock ‘n’ roller, actress, muse and mother who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s.
From Barbarella to the Swiss Alps, and the Lower East Side of New York, Anita Pallenberg was a woman ahead of her time. Using the words of her unpublished memoir, discovered by her family after her death in 2017, and voiced by Scarlett Johansson in the film, Anita draws us deep into her world.
With the help of a supporting cast that includes her family — Marlon, Angela, and their father Keith Richards — as well as contributions from Marianne Faithfull, Kate Moss and others, Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg brings together never-seen-before home movies and family photographs that explore life with the Rolling Stones.
"She knew everything, and she could say it in five languages. She scared the pants off me." Keith Richards
Catching Fire is a truly hand-made film by two directors motivated by the desire to create something lasting, and personal.
It’s a film about family, made by family. Directors Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Will were brought the idea in 2020 by Marlon Richards, the son of Anita Pallenberg and Keith Richards, who wanted his mother’s story to be told in all its complexity. The directors have worked closely with Anita’s inner circle over the course of three years, and the result is a private view of a life that was often lived in public. The Super 8mm home movies woven throughout the documentary are the purest expression of this intimacy.
"She was everything you want a rockstar to be – or for me, everything you want a woman to be." Kate Moss