Plot Synopsis

Directed by Amir Bar-Lev and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, LONG STRANGE TRIP is a documentary that probes the creative forces, subversive ambitions, and interpersonal dynamics that drove the Grateful Dead in their 30-year quest for moments of collective inspiration. By inventing a unique fusion of folk, jazz, R&B, avant-garde experimentation, world music and rock and roll, they earned the devotion of the most committed fan base in the music business, while gleefully disdaining every cliche of pop success. By assembling candid interviews with the band, road crew, family members, and notable Deadheads, Bar-Lev unearths the untold history of the Dead and the freewheeling psychedelic subculture that sprouted up around it, while providing poignant insight into the psyche of late lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, who disdained leadership of the increasingly sprawling collective organization that kept the show on the road. Capturing some of the band's most dynamic live performances as well as unguarded moments offstage and never before seen footage and photos, LONG STRANGE TRIP first debuted as Sundance Film Festival as a four-hour documentary and was later released as a six-part documentary series by Amazon Video on Friday, June, 2017 at 3:01am ET/12:01am PT -- one week later than originally announced.