Ahead of its worldwide premiere at SXSW 2021, Discovery Plus has announced that it has acquired the streaming rights to Introducing, Selma Blair, a documentary that tracks a year in the life of the actress in the wake of her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. The film is directed by Rachel Fleit and will be released on the Discovery Plus streaming service later this year at a date to be announced.
“My connection with Selma was instantaneous. From our very first FaceTime together, I immediately understood who she was — disarming, charming, raw, real, and true,” said Fleit, in an official statement per press release. “From the onset, I wanted to tell this story about a different way of being in the world. I am humbled and honored that Selma trusted me to tell her story. I couldn’t be happier to be part of the discovery+ family.”
“I am beyond pleased and proud to have discovery+ be the home for my film 'debut' and for believing in the power of storytelling as a way to connect us all," Blair said. "I may be the subject of this film but my hope is that everyone sees themselves in it and finds some strength and joy they may not have known they had."
Blair is an actress known across mediums, from dark comedies such as Cruel Intentions, to lighter fare like Legally Blonde, to the Guillermo del Toro-directed Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, where she played Liz Sherman. On television, she starred in the U.S. adaptation of Kath & Kim alongside Molly Shannon, and most recently portrayed Kris Jenner in the first season of the FX drama anthology series American Crime Story. In 2018, the actress publicly revealed that she had been diagnosed with MS, although she has continued to work and can currently be seen on the Netflix sci-fi series Another Life, which was renewed for a second season in 2019.
SXSW 2021 will run digitally from March 16 through 21. Check out the official film summary below.
A deeply personal story of resilience, INTRODUCING, SELMA BLAIR, spotlights a woman battling her disease as she grapples with challenges such as dissecting deep-rooted myths about beauty, the collective fear around disability and mortality, as well as the struggle for self-acceptance and the search for serenity. Complete with her trademark wit and humor, the film follows Blair as she reconciles a life-altering diagnosis and begins on a journey of monumental transition.