Starting Friday, March 9, 2012, POV is bringing you an encore presentation of Patti Smith: Dream of Life by Steven Sebring on PBS stations. Check your local listings ».

Watch a preview:

Shot over 11 years, Patti Smith: Dream of Life is a unique collaboration between the legendary rocker, poet and artist, and renowned fashion photographer Steven Sebring. Following Smith’s personal reflections over a decade, the film explores her many art forms and the friends and poets who inspired her — William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, Robert Mapplethorpe and Michael Stipe. She emerges as a crucial, contemporary link between the Beats, punks and today’s music. Shot in lush, dark tones, featuring rare performance clips and narrated by the artist herself, Patti Smith: Dream of Life is an impressionistic journal of a multi-faceted artist that underscores her unique place in American culture.

After watching the film, visit POV’s Patti Smith companion site for more video and interactive features.

Tell us what you think about this program on the Patti Smith: Dream of Life companion site, on Facebook or on Twitter.

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POV Staff
POV (a cinema term for "point of view") is television's longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. POV premieres 14-16 of the best, boldest and most innovative programs every year on PBS. Since 1988, POV has presented over 400 films to public television audiences across the country. POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues.