Sing Me The Songs That Say I Love You: Remembering Kate McGarrigle

Director Lian Lunson, left, and Martha Wainwright share a laugh at the screening of SING ME THE SONGS THAT SAY I LOVE YOU at DOC NYC.

The love that friends and family had (and still have) for the late musician Kate McGarrigle is in full evidence in director Lian Lunson’s concert documentary-cum-tribute SING ME THE SONGS THAT SAY I LOVE YOU: A CONCERT FOR KATE MCGARRIGLE.

The film reads like a breathing encomium for McGarrigle, a Quebecois folk singer famous in Canada and revered by followers in other parts of the world. McGarrigle was stricken with a form of terminal cancer and passed away in January 2010 at the age of 63. In tribute, a stable of performers who were proud to call her a friend, along with her children Martha and Rufus Wainwright and other family members, staged a heartfelt concert at New York City’s Town Hall in May 2011.

Lunson’s loving recording of the effort feels like a throwback to the concert documentaries of yesteryear, relying on close-ups of performers and family members to convey the strong emotions of love and loss participants are experiencing. “This was an incredibly personal film,” said Lunson. She added that she thought it was rare to capture such heartfelt performances on film. “The performers really wore their hearts on their sleeves,” she said.

The concert footage is interspersed with archival material featuring McGarrigle, along with short interviews with friends and family members remembering their lost loved one. McGarrigle’s wide influence on culture was also evidenced by the range of people who attended the tribute concert, among them musician Norah Jones, comedian Jimmy Fallon and author Michael Ondaatje.

At the film’s introduction, Rufus Wainwright said that it felt good to contribute to New York City’s emotional recovery following Hurricane Sandy. “I hope that Kate’s music will help us persevere.” Sitting in the SVA Theatre following the film, it certainly felt that way.