Kanye West‘s latest bad idea: letting an 18-year-old trail him with an iPhone for six years for an “unfiltered” documentary about the rapper. Following years of controversy surrounding antisemitic statements, allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment, and failed business partnerships (to name but a few), West – a.k.a. Ye – is releasing a documentary that explores his “public transformation.”
Per Variety, distributors Goodfellas and Utopia are previewing the doc, titled In Whose Name?, next week at the American Film Market in the hopes of securing international distribution. The doc was directed by Nicolas Ballesteros, who followed West around with an iPhone over the course of six years to capture “a unique and cinematic perspective on Ye’s public transformation.”
It’s unclear which “transformation” In Whose Name? is documenting. If you’ve been paying attention to West over the last several years, the once critically acclaimed rap superstar has become increasingly controversial, drawing well-deserved criticism for supporting Donald Trump, making antisemitic comments, praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, harassing employees, and, most recently, sexually assaulting his former assistant (West has denied the claims). It would take entirely too long to list all the controversies attached to West’s name, but to say that the rapper has fallen from grace would be a massive understatement.
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Concerning his “public transformation,” West is now regarded as a deeply troubled man who supports fascism, and it’s hard to imagine that In Whose Name? is interested in portraying West in that light, considering that the doc appears to be an authorized biography. It’s also unclear if this is the same documentary that MRC dropped in 2022, when the production company announced that it was scrapping plans to release a finished doc about West due to the rapper’s antisemitic remarks.
What We Know About the Kanye West Documentary (So Far)
The official synopsis for In Whose Name? hails West for his “provocative opinions, grand visions and bold contrarianism,” which is certainly a generous way of describing a man best known in 2024 for antisemitism and harassment. The synopsis reads:
“With a billion-dollar budget and a commitment to truth, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, invites 18-year-old Nicolas Ballesteros armed with an iPhone on
a six-year journey revealing unfiltered aspects of celebrity life which confront the provocative opinions, grand visions and bold contrarianism that defined him as the world’s most controversial artist.
The film follows Ye’s ascent to becoming the richest Black man in American history while uncovering why the superstar risked everything he had built in the name of freedom. Examining the culture that birthed the star, ‘In Whose Name?’ explores the overlapping influences of corporate exploitation, racial complexities and psychological struggles inherent in the American dream.”
There are aspects of West’s career trajectory and personal life that are undoubtedly worth examining, particularly as they pertain to mental health and celebrity, but West’s perspective has become seemingly more unreliable and worrisome in recent years. In an official joint statement, Marie Zeniter, vice president of sales at Utopia and Eva Diederix, head of sales at Goodfellas, had this to say about the doc:
“This powerful documentary offers an unfiltered view without narration, it invites audiences to draw their own conclusions on themes of fame, religion and power. We believe audiences globally deserve the chance to witness how one of the world’s most influential figures navigates the complexities and contradictions of celebrity.”
A documentary that explores the “complexities and contradictions” (and flaws) of one of the most acclaimed and successful rappers in history sounds compelling – but is that what we’re really getting with In Whose Name?
As of now, the documentary does not have a release date, but one is expected to be announced imminently.