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Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

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In 1965, Janis Ian, a 14-year-old singer-songwriter from New Jersey, wrote “Society’s Child” about an interracial relationship. Recorded and released a year later, the song launched Ian's career, but its subject matter ignited controversy, even resulting in death threats. The fallout plunged Ian into an emotional tailspin–and yet a few years later she emerged from the ashes with an even bigger hit, “At Seventeen.” Over six decades, Janis Ian gained ten Grammy nominations in eight different categories, saw her song “Stars” recorded by such luminaries as Nina Simone and Cher, and overcame homophobia, misogyny, and a life-threatening illness to produce an indelible body of work that continues to draw audiences around the globe. Featuring Janis Ian, Joan Baez, Jean Smart, Arlo Guthrie, Lily Tomlin, and Tom Paxton, among other icons.

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What is Janis Ian: Breaking Silence (2025) about?

In 1965, Janis Ian, a 14-year-old singer-songwriter from New Jersey, wrote “Society’s Child” about an interracial relationship. Recorded and released a year later, the song launched Ian's career, but its subject matter ignited controversy, even resulting in death threats. The fallout plunged Ian into an emotional tailspin–and yet a few years later she emerged from the ashes with an even bigger…

Who stars in Janis Ian: Breaking Silence?

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence stars Janis Ian (Self), Joan Baez (Self), Jean Smart (Self), Laurie Metcalf (Self), Lily Tomlin (Self). The film was directed by Varda Bar-Kar.

Where can I watch Janis Ian: Breaking Silence?

Streaming availability for Janis Ian: Breaking Silence changes by country and service. TasteRay tracks where it is available across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+ and 50+ other platforms — the current options for your country are shown on this page.