A lovely new documentary about Audrey Hepburn life came out last year simply called Audrey (2020. I have watched other documentaries about Audrey before but this one was a little different. Most of the film was narrated by Audrey herself. They used old interviews with her than really made it feel more personal and intimate. They also had three ballerinas at three different ages to remind us that she always dreamed of becoming a dancer and that dream remained with her for the rest of her life. This reminder made me see Audrey more in a dancers light than I ever saw her before. The way she walked, moved, and carried herself in life and in film was exquisite as well as graceful. The dancers reminded me that it was because she was a dancer that she carried herself the way she did. And she did so beautifully for her entire life.

There were many interviews with people who knew her but I realized not many were from Hollywood,  some were former employees, and a few were the children of her dearest friends. I realized that many have since passed but it would have been nice to hear from people who had first hand experiences with her. Her eldest son Sean Hepburn Ferrer was interviewed and his recollections, thoughts, and feelings about his mother were probably the most intimate and the most directly connected to her. His eldest daughter was interviewed as well. She seems like a lovely person but she was born a year after Audrey's passing and didn't personally know her. She knows what her father and other have shared with her so many of her recollections were second hand memories. I did feel as though she felt a connection to her grandmother and the life she lead. She seemed empathetic to Audrey's struggles and I found that to be endearing. I also found it interesting that her youngest son Luca Dotti was not in the documentary as well as other relatives of Audrey's.

I think this documentary should have been made years ago while people like Robert Wolders were still alive. I think hearing about Audrey from him would have been a wonderful gift to many of us that still admire her. Although I do think that there were some things that those being interviewed said about Audrey that made me question how well they knew her, I think what was shared was heartfelt and came from a place of admiration and love.

I learned things about Audrey that I didn't know or realize before. I was aware of her imperfections because I believe it isn't fair to put people on a pedestal. But I didn't realize how deep her insecurities went and how much she struggled to accept the fact that she was indeed deeply loved. Sean shared that in her last days she told him the Christmas of 1992 (she passed on in 1993) was the best that she even had because she finally realized that she was loved. It is something that haunted her and affected her her entire life. The abandonment of her father, indifference of her mother, and the separation from her brothers all made her feel that she was not worthy to be loved. So Audrey craved for love and craved to give it all her life.

I'm glad I watched this documentary. I feel that those who knew her did their best to share with us how special she really was. Although those of us who have admired her for years have always known. After watching this documentary I feel as though is very much worthy of being admired.