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David Bowie’s final act: New documentary charts icon's 'extraordinary final' chapter

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David Bowie performs live on stage at Earls Court Arena on May 12 1973.
David Bowie performs live on stage at Earls Court Arena on May 12 1973. Picture: Getty

By StephenRigley

A Channel 4 documentary is to "chart the extraordinary final creative chapter" of music star David Bowie.

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The film, which has the working title David Bowie: The Final Act, includes interviews with those who knew and worked alongside Bowie, as well as famous fans who have been inspired by the artist.

Bowie died at the age of 69 in January 2016 following an 18-month battle with cancer.

He enjoyed a glittering career spanning more than five decades that saw him become one of the biggest recording artists of all time.

His final album, Blackstar, charged into the number one spot on the UK albums chart following its release on his 69th birthday, which came two days before his death.

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'David Bowie - Blackstar' album CD with compact disc and cover artwork, isolated on light blank background
'David Bowie - Blackstar' album CD with compact disc and cover artwork, isolated on light blank background. Picture: Alamy

The record features themes of death throughout, which is something that will be explored in the documentary.

The upcoming film "explores how Bowie, ever the master of reinvention, transformed his confrontation with mortality into his final artistic statement", a description from Channel 4 said.

It added: "David Bowie: The Final Act will chart the extraordinary final creative chapter of one of music's most iconic and inventive artists."

Director Jonathan Stiasny said: "The traditional music documentary celebrates triumph. What fascinated me most when making this film was how Bowie's final chapter wasn't an ending, it was a resurrection.

"He transformed failure into triumph, silence into revelation, and ultimately, death into art."

Shaminder Nahal, head of specialist factual at Channel 4, said: "Bowie was one of those rare artists whose imagination never dimmed.

"This film reveals how, when faced with the end, he found ways to push boundaries and create something transcendent."

Further details of the 90-minute film from Rogan Productions, the team behind Freddie Mercury: The Final Act and ABBA: Against The Odds, will be announced in due course.