Madonna is one of the world's biggest icons. "Becoming Madonna" shows the process that went to get to that point, tracing Madonna's origins as a dancer and as a driven young woman born in Michigan.
The project, which will premiere in Universal+ for Latin American audiences, was directed by Michael Odgen and explores Madonna's life at a key point in her personal and professional life, from the years 1978 to 1982, one year before the release of her first studio album.
The documentary follows Madonna at 19 years old, shortly after arriving in New York, where she began her career as an artist by studying dance. While she pursued the path of a singer, decades later, her influence as a dancer remains a key part of her stage persona, bringing that to her shows and music videos and resulting in some of the most memorable dance numbers in pop history.
Aside from exploring Madonna's artistry and work ethic as a young person, the documentary also paints a picture of New York in the late '70s and early '80s, and the struggling artists who were fighting to make an imprint in the world.
"Becoming Madonna" will be available to stream on Universal+ this August 23rd.
What fueled Madonna's drive
Madonna is one of the most driven artists in the world, consistently pushing herself and her work, which has resulted in her being in the public eye for most of her life.
The documentary explores some of the reasons behind this, including the early death of her mother, who died when she was 30 after a breast cancer diagnosis. Madonna was 5 years old and has opened up about the traumatic experience on previous occasions.
"I stood on stage for 81 shows staring up at the beautiful face of my mother and wondering what she must’ve been thinking as she waved goodbye to me from her hospital window," she wrote on a Mother's Day post she shared last year. "I stepped into the station wagon and shut the door not knowing it was the last time I’d see her."
"Becoming Madonna" also explores the loss of her friends Christopher Flynn and Martin Burgoyne, who died in the '80s as a result of the AIDS epidemic, and pushed her to embrace her status as an icon and ally of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Through her fiery conflicts with the conservative establishment in the ’80s and ’90s, the film powerfully evokes a time where traditional views on sexuality and gender roles were being audaciously challenged and Madonna was always at the vanguard,” reads the movie's official synopsis.