Canadian bashers Kittie are gearing up for the release of a career spanning documentary, to be released in 2016. Director Rob McCallum has posted a play-by-play on how he became involved in the project and the process of putting the documentary together. An excerpt is available below:

McCallum: "From our first conversation, it was clear that this documentary had to be for the fans. It was the band’s way of saying 'thank you' but what did that actually mean? And how does one concoct that result with present day interviews and archival material? Well, those questions lead to more research. I started watching a few music documentaries – then a lot of music documentaries. Then I watched a lot of 'director’s cuts' and looked at what was included versus what was cut to make the theatrical cut, with the logic being that fans typically prefer director’s cuts. The research boiled down to set me on a path of length, meaning a longer cut which opposed he traditional 90 minute length preferred by distributors, and to include intimate footage that wasn’t flashy, but honest and revealing. This couldn’t be a two hour expose with intriguing sound bytes and memorable one-liners. A series of cleverly timed sound bytes was exactly the antithesis of what I wanted to show of a band and its members who’d tried to stay out of the spotlight and never reveal what was happening behind the scenes. Lastly, though never said, it was clear through the interviews that no one in the band ever had a forum in which to tell their story, those events, from their very distinct perspective and that was something I wanted to achieve and I hoped to do so by eliminating any presence of myself. No voice over was the first rule and minimal title cards that would be strictly factual to connect the dots IF needed at all. This was their ONE CHANCE to set the record straight and I don’t think that some outsider should come in and arrange a loose linear narrative that gets the audience from forming the band to current day in his or her own voice. Let the band tell the story, otherwise, what’s the point?"

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Kittie singer/guitarist Morgan Lander spoke about the film with Songfacts’ Greg Prato in late 2015. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

Songfacts: How did the idea come up to do a documentary at this point?

Morgan Lander: “The idea for the documentary has been in the works for the last couple of years. I believe we started to discuss it towards the end of 2013 and going into the beginning of 2014. (Drummer) Mercedes (Lander) was really the one who pushed the idea and thought it was a really great way to celebrate our upcoming 20th anniversary, so we decided to plan and get everything together for that.

“Initially, we had reached out to a number of different people to try to have them direct. The documentary has actually changed hands over the last little while, but I'm really quite happy with the direction that Rob McCallum has brought it. We're really excited about everything. It's been in the works for a number of years, and only now starting to come to fruition. It's taken a long time, having to reach out to past members and get them on board to discuss things and negotiate and describe what the idea is. But it's all for a good cause - 20 years is a long time to say that you have done something that you love.”

Read the full interview at Songfacts.

The trailer for the epic release premiered on Friday, September 25th, 2015 in London, Ontario, Canada at the historic Hyland Cinema in conjunction with the Canadian Premiere of Nintendo Quest: The Most Unofficial and Unauthorized Nintendo Documentary Ever! Check out the clip below:

"We are absolutely elated to be able to tell the band's colourful history through the many people that were involved throughout the years," says the band. "This project has been a labour of love for the last year and a half and we are excited that things are finally coming together. I'm sure people will be shocked, and maybe even a little astonished when our collective story is told. It has been a wild ride! Thank you to everyone who donated to the IndieGoGo campaign, who made this possible!"

The movie is directed by Rob McCallum who adds his own comments, “It’s been an awesome adventure discovering the real story of the band. You think you’ve got the story sorted out from what you can research online only to realize that everything on you thought you knew is only contorted fragments and a cracked reflection of the ultimate reality. The film charts the career of the heavy metal act from 1996 to present day from their perspective, as it’s clear that they’ve never been given a platform to share their story in their words, and in their own voice.  In addition to the band’s specific history, the documentary looks at the evolution in the music industry, gender and color politics in music, and, the backlash of success. Whether you’re familiar with the band or not, this is a universal story that touches on themes of self worth, living up to exceptions of others, the necessity of goals, and the importance of family. It’s a roller coaster ride that will get you to question and consider your own life in a different light. It’s an important film and I’m lucky that I have the chance share it with the world."

The film aims to deliver a certain perspective to the band's unique audience. The film contains footage from all eras of the band, features a number of band members both past and present. It’s rare that a band takes the time to catalogue their entire career on video, but that’s exactly what Kittie did and it’s another reason this film will be special. You will see the evolution of the band, and their music on screen.