Lilith Fair: Building A Mystery, directed by Ally Pankiw, is a film that will bring you to your knees, praying for a time machine to take you back to 1997. Opening with Sarah McLachlan’s most nostalgic hit, audiences are transported to a pocket in time that feels too good to be true.
The documentary produced by Dan Levy and Christina Piovesan explores the iconic and tumultuous reign of the all-woman music festival that no one believed could succeed. Co-created by Sarah McLachlan, the festival challenged the male-dominated music industry that would shamelessly gatekeep the path to success for female artists through hyper-sexualization, not playing two female artists back to back or allowing only a small percentage of female musicians to play at music festivals. What began as a female opening act for McLachlan’s tours turned into a three-year industry shake-up that not only led to high-grossing album sales and Grammys for popular singers but also, for the first time, created a safe space for women to be themselves. The festival also gave space for lesbian and queer artists to be celebrated and supported amongst other women who didn’t reduce their talent and impact to their sexual orientation. At Lilith Fair, women ran with horses and danced under the starlight.
Documentarian Ally Pankiw masterfully immerses the audience in this portrait of resistance and sisterhood. With guest appearances of past performers like Erykah Badu, Olivia Rodrigo, Jewel and McLachlan herself, the women did not hold back when discussing the challenges of participating and operating a festival made for and by women. With clips of celebrated men like Howard Stern and Norm Macdonald sexually harassing female artists on television, viewers can feel, for a moment, the horrifying reality these women had to face. But with every clip of humiliation, there is one of joy. Artists from every background singing together on stage, rehearsing backstage, dancing, taking pictures together, sharing stories and just enjoying the company and talent of one another. As a viewer, my heart pulsated for that environment as my eyes filled with tears, proud of their accomplishments.
In the end, Lilith Fair is a reminder to women around the world that anything is possible when we come together and support each other. When we care about each other’s experiences and find those elements that connect us, we become a powerful force that no man can dismantle. No matter how hard they try.
Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery is playing at TIFF ’25. For more information, click here.
