Merle Haggard: Learning to Live with Myself

Country music legend and poet of the common man Merle Haggard takes centre stage for this candid documentary that, just like the man himself, tells it like it is. Unearthing the roots of Haggard’s musical inspiration, it recounts his early days of delinquency and hard drinking that saw him locked up in San Quentin in 1959, where he experienced an epiphany at witnessing Johnny Cash play for the inmates.

Both extremely guarded and painfully honest, this candid music doco from Gandulf Hennig (Fallen Angel: Gram Parsons, MIFF 04) gives rare insight into the workings of one of America’s great wandering troubadours. Features interviews with stalwarts of the country music scene including Robert Duvall, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, Keith Richards, Dwight Yoakam and many more. —melbournefilmfestival.com