Netflix has released the official trailer for the highly anticipated Taylor Swift documentary Miss Americana. The film premieres at the Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, and is already generating buzz for delving deep behind the façade of the iconic pop/country music star.

Directed by Lana Wilson (After Tiller), the film chronicles the turning point in Swift’s career when she shifted from the apolitical “please and thank you” pop star into an outright activist. Cameras were rolling as Swift made her decision to make a political statement publicly for the first time, and also as she faced backlash for her decision. What’s most fascinating here is how Swift is open and honest about the image that was crafted for her—and which she wholly embraced. She appears to be attempting to atone for staying silent for so long, and I’m excited to hopefully get a candid and insightful look at how the fame machine literally creates artists as vanilla, non-controversial beings—and how one of the most popular artists in history put it all on the line to say what she believes.

Check out the Miss Americana trailer below, and look for our review of the film from Sundance on Collider later this week. The film will be released in select theaters and on Netflix on January 31st.

Here’s the official Miss Americana synopsis from Sundance:

Taylor Swift is a global icon who repeatedly tops the charts, fills stadium tours with rapturous fans, and continues to challenge herself both professionally and personally while remaining steadfast in her vision as an artist. Few have achieved as much as Swift, or have had their personal lives open to such public scrutiny, but in Miss Americana, she finds herself at a watershed moment in her career, using her platform not only as a singer-songwriter, but as a woman fearlessly harnessing the full power of her voice.

 

Director Lana Wilson (After Tiller, 2013 Sundance Film Festival) offers a multifaceted window into Swift, her creative process, and her singular experience of being one of the brightest lights on the world’s global stage. Showcasing Swift’s trademark vulnerability and her fierce intelligence and wit, Wilson captures moments both tender and exhilarating as the superstar embarks on the latest chapter of her already extraordinary career.

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Image via Netflix