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Billie Jean King John McEnroe
and
"The Tennis Girls”
Sara Ayres Tory Burch Ariadne Calvo-Platero Jenny Conant
Cristina Cuomo Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn Gigi Mortimer
Perri Peltz Rene Rockefeller Peggy Siegal
cordially invite you to join
co-directors and co-producers
Maiken Baird and Michelle Major
to a special screening of
Magnolia Pictures' documentary
Venus and Serena
Thursday, May 2nd, 2013
8:15pm -Screening
IFC Center
323 6th Ave (at W 3rd St)
Party to follow at
La Villette
10 Downing Street
(between 6th & Bedford Avenues)
Venus and Serena takes an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest
sister-act professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed,
the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage not only
breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but
dominating the women’s game for over a decade. The film tells the inspiring story of
how these two women, against all odds, but with the help of visionary parents, made it
to the top.
Runtime 99 minutes
Currently available On Demand, opening in theaters on May 10th, 2013
Maiken Baird
Michelle Major
Billie Jean King
John McEnroe & Patty Smyth
Wyclef Jean
Derek Blasberg
Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman
Rachel Roy
Constance Jablonski
Sandra Bernhard
Guy Talese
Fran Lebowitz
Virginia Smith & Tabitha Simmons
Alex Gibney, Tim Luke & Eliot Spitzer
Graydon Carter & Anna Scott
Gigi Mortimer, Christina Cuomo & Renee
Rockefeller
Anna Wintour
Tennis Luminaries and Fashionable Sports Fans Attend
Venus and
Serena Soiree
rd
Friday, May 3 , 2013
Maiken Baird and Michelle Major.
In the dwindling weeks before A.T.P. tennis kicks it into high gear—Wimbledon begins
next month—filmmakers Maiken Baird (Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer) and
Michelle Major bow a powerful new documentary examining the unique lives of Venus
and Serena Williams, two of the sport’s all-time greatest players. Venus and Serena—
which includes rare footage from the girls’ youngest days, learning the sport from their
father, Richard Williams, in Compton, California—was made over nine months of 2011
and spans the health struggles, personal triumphs, family dramatics, and stylistic verve
of the two.
In honor of Baird and Major’s work, Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter and Vogue’s Anna
Wintour hosted the filmmakers, tennis stars, and fashionable sports enthusiasts for
cocktails Thursday night at the Beatrice Inn. The crowd—which included Constance
Jablonski, Rachel Roy, Derek Blasberg, Gay Talese, and others—next attended a
screening and dinner hosted by Billie Jean King and John McEnroe. See photos of the
evening’s guests, and to read more about the film, check out its official site here, or see
it in theaters or on-demand starting May 10.
Constance Jablonski and Derek Blasberg.
Guy Talese.
Rachel Roy and Michael Carl.
Fran Lebowitz
Elliot Spitzer.
John McEnroe.
Venus and
Serena: From Tennis Court to Hospital Bed
rd
Friday, May 3 , 2013
A new documentary about sibling tennis phenomenons Venus and Serena Williams reveals personal –
and not always flattering – insight into their family. How are the sisters responding? John Edwards joins
Lunch Break with details.
Maiken Baird and Michelle Major spent almost four years talking to Venus and Serena
Williams's agents in an effort to convince the tennis stars to participate in the first-ever
feature-length documentary about their lives.
They were asking for extraordinary access.
In 2010, at the time of the negotiations, the sisters were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the
world. It was the first time they had occupied the top two spots in seven years.
Although both had struggled with injuries that season, Serena won two Grand Slam
titles, and as a doubles team the sisters swept the Australian Open and the French
Open.
When the filmmakers finally got the green light to follow them during the 2011 season,
the story line took a turn. They'd expected to be conducting interviews from the tennis
court, not a hospital bed. In January 2011, just after Ms. Baird and Ms. Major started
filming, Venus dropped out of the Australian Open in the third round because of a hip
injury, marking the first time she had ever withdrawn from a Grand Slam competition. A
couple of months later, Serena, who had been healing from a foot injury, found herself
hospitalized because of a pulmonary embolism. By September, Venus announced that
she had been diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can
cause muscle pain, arthritis and fatigue.
Watch a clip from the film "Venus and Serena," a documentary on tennis stars Venus and Serena
Williams.
"We were devastated," says Ms. Major. They had envisioned the documentary as a
meditation on competition, "the story of the two of them playing each other in a great
match and triumphing."
Venus and Serena, now 32 and 31, didn't play against each other that season. The
resulting film turned out to be a rare, dramatic and personal look at girls from gangridden Compton, Calif., schooled by their father since they were three and four years
old. The film includes little-seen footage from those early days shot by intrepid sports
reporters who were intrigued by the story of the girls and their swashbuckling father,
Richard Williams.
Mr. Williams, who makes frequent appearances in the documentary, had written a 78page manifesto planning his daughters' careers before they were even born. (As
Venus says in the film, "My parents told me I'd be No. 1 in the world. I was
brainwashed.")
Serena with codirector Michelle Major
Ms. Baird says that although the sisters were uncomfortable about the portrayal of their
various health issues, they had agreed to be filmed no matter what. "They are very
serious about their commitments," she says. As a result, a crew filmed them every
week—when the sisters let them in— from January 2011 through the end of the
season in September 2011. The fact that they were out of the game for most of that
time, "ended up being a real advantage for us as filmmakers because we got to spend
a lot of time with them outside of the courts, getting to know them in a way I am not
sure we would have if they had been on tour the whole time," says Ms. Baird.
She and Ms. Major, who have known each other since the late 1990s—they both
worked for Peter Jennings at ABC News—shot some 450 hours of footage of Venus
and Serena, including relaxed at-home moments when they are singing a soulful
karaoke version of "Hole Hearted" by Extreme, and joking with each other while
cooking dinner in the West Palm Beach home they share. Ms. Baird says "there were
lots of fights [about what to exclude], even with our wonderful editor," Sam Pollard, a
frequent collaborator of director Spike Lee.
One of the most heavily debated issues: whether to include potentially controversial
information about the Williams family, such as the fact that Mr. Williams has five
(possibly six) other children, with whom Venus and Serena have had little to no
contact. There's a scene in which Richard shows up to Serena's practice with a young
man who was calling him "dad." When asked about the man in a filmed interview,
Serena said, "I have no idea who that guy is." Their mother, Oracene Price, remarks in
one scene that if she had one piece of advice for Richard's new wife it would be: "Run.
Do not pass go. Do not collect $200." At another point, Richard yells at the camera
operator to get out of his face. ("I was driving him crazy," admits Ms. Major.)
The filmmakers ultimately decided to keep the footage, "not because we wanted to be
salacious, but more because it speaks to where [Venus and Serena] come from, and
makes them relatable," says Ms. Major. "Otherwise you have this superhuman family
with these superhuman girls." Ms. Baird adds: "We were trying to make a film that's
real, not a commercial." (Nobody in the Williams family had final-edit powers.)
The sisters, however, were not happy when they saw the final cut. The filmmakers say
they had "a long talk" with Venus, who as the eldest is particularly protective, before
the film premiered last September at the Toronto Film Festival. But they haven't talked
to either sister since. The sisters had been expected to attend the Toronto premiere,
which came at a triumphant moment because Serena had just won the U.S. Open.
But, to the chagrin of audiences, they were no-shows, although the filmmakers hasten
to say they never made a guarantee they'd be there.
"We got a maybe, and somewhere down the line everyone thought they were going to
be there," says Ms. Major. "Afterward we were like, 'That didn't work.' "
The sisters' attitudes seem to have softened in the past eight months, as "Venus and
Serena" approaches its theatrical release May 10 (it's also available on demand). For a
screening to be held in New York Thursday night hosted by Billie Jean King and John
McEnroe, Serena, who is getting ready for the French Open, made a video
introduction. In it, she says that 2011 was "one of the most difficult years of my whole
entire life," adding that the documentary is "a really great film" and inviting people to
tweet their thoughts about it to her at her personal account, @SerenaWilliams.
McEnroe:th I’m no Venus
Monday, May 6 , 2013
John McEnroe
John McEnroe can’t grasp how Venus and Serena Williams get along so well. “I do
have a brother [Patrick] that played professional tennis, so I understand at least to a
small degree what Venus, as the older sister, was going through,” the court legend told
the crowd at a screening of “Venus and Serena” at IFC Center on Thursday. “The way
she has treated Serena all these years and been behind her through thick and thin is
remarkable because I can guarantee you I would have dusted my brother off and told
him to take a friggin’ hike if he’d started beating me. The little brother in my family
doesn’t beat the older brother, and that will never happen as long as I live.” Just to
hammer home the point, he added, “I never did lose to Patrick.” Before the screening,
guests had cocktails hosted by Graydon Carter and Anna Wintour at the Beatrice Inn.
After the movie, out Friday, guests including filmmakers Maiken Baird and Michelle
Major, Wyclef Jean, Eliot Spitzer headed to La Villette.
Venus andnd Serena Special Screening
Thursday, May 2 , 2013
Director Maiken Baird, left, Wyclef Jean, center, and director Michelle Major attend the Venus and Serena
Special Screening at the IFC Center on Thursday, May 2, 2013 in New York.
Venus and Serena Williams’ bonding remarkable, says John
McEnroeth
Sunday, May 5 , 2013
John McEnroe finds it hard to understand how Venus and Serena Williams get along so
well, despite being competitors.
At a screening of "Venus and Serena" at IFC Center on Thursday, the court legend said
that he could understand at least to a small degree what Venus, as the older sister, was
going through, as he also has a brother [Patrick] that played professional tennis.
He added that the way Venus has treated Serena all these years and been behind her
through thick and thin is remarkable, and confessed that he would have dusted his
brother off and told him to take a friggin' hike if he'd started beating him.
McEnroe continued that the little brother in his family doesn't beat the older brother, and
that will never happen as long as he lives.
He added that he'd never lose to Patrick.
Before the screening of the film, guests had cocktails hosted by Graydon Carter and
Anna Wintour at the Beatrice Inn.
Wyclef Jean
th
By: Jennifer Peros/Wednesday, May 8 , 2013
--Wyclef Jean supporting filmmakers, Maiken Baird and Michelle Major, at the
screening of their movie "Venus and Serena" in NYC.
Venus and Serena:
The Movie
rd
By: Peter Bodo/Friday, May 3 , 2013
New York — It’s always good to see tennis reaching over its own well-constructed walls
and out of its insular society to connect with the outside world, which is why John
McEnroe and Billie Jean King were standing outside the Independent Film Center
theater in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village last, night arm-in-arm with a pair of movie
producers, while paparazzi lit up the gritty Gotham evening with flashbulbs and puzzled
passers-by muttered, “What’s this all about?” or “Who are those people?”
That some of them needed to ask underscores my point, as did the reason so many of
us gathered at the theater to watch a screening of Venus and Serena (Magnolia
Pictures), the new film by aforementioned producers/directors Maikin Baird and Michelle
Major. Nobody has taken tennis outside the walls and among new people more
thoroughly than the sisters who are the subject of this documentary.
The evening began with a cocktail party hosted by Graydon Carter (Vanity Fair) and
Anna Wintour (Vogue) at Carter’s Beatrice Inn, a popular spot with Manhattan swells
and celebrities. It was loaded with sharp-dressed men and skinny blonde socialites in
black velvet ankle boots. Not really my scene, but then along came John McEnroe and
his wife, singer Patty Smyth. I’d not been introduced to Patty before, but within a minute
I felt like I’d known her half my life; she’s just one of those really open, warm people.
John was on hand, along with Billie Jean, mainly to proselytize on behalf of the movie
— to do, in the words of McEnoe, “whatever it takes” to broaden the appeal and reach
of tennis. Could anyone foresee that McEnroe would become this evangelist, back in
those halcyon “pits of the world” or “you cannot be serious!”days?
My, how times change.
And that was evident in the movie itself, which began to roll shortly John and Billie Jean
made some fairly lengthy introductory remarks. McEnroe has also become quite the
persuasive public speaker.
The movie is excellent (full disclosure: I was interviewed extensively for it, and some of
my comments are in the final cut), and surprisingly — and admirably — fair in light of
the fact the Baird and Major had the blessing of the Williams family in making it.
Often, that “authorized” imprimatur translates to puffery, either because the principals
have editorial control, or the filmmakers/writers are seduced by their co-operative
subjects. But Baird and Major did a great job resisting the gravitational pull of the
Williams family, and made themselves central enough to their lives that at one point
Richard tries to shoo them away, complaining that they’re like an “ex-wife.” The
documentary gives the viewer an all-access pass but into the real world of the
Williamses, not Candyland.
There are plenty of sweet, heart-warming moments — not all of them built around the
easy sympathy and pathos generated by footage of Serena laid out on a hospital dolly,
or injecting herself with medication. The scene where the sisters engage in some
spontaneous karaoke would make a grump smile, as do the scenes where Serena rolls
out her dating preferences (white men, or black?), or where Venus and Serena are
asked to number their brothers and sisters.
But the sound bites sometimes have teeth, too. Venus and Serena’s sister Isha bridles
when asked about “half-sister” Yetunde, who was shot and killed some years ago in
(presumably) a case of mistaken identity. “She isn’t our half-sister,” Isha immediately
insists. “We don’t do that half-sister thing. We’re black.” Yet one of the more interesting
things about this film, and its subjects, is how small a role race, and racial issues in
general, play in the daily lives and actions of the sisters.
The most race-conscious comments in the movie are made by one of the extra-familial
“experts” from outside the tennis community, the comedian Chris Rock — and his
comments don’t really bring any fresh or new insight to the story. In general, the
filmmakers may have relied a little too heavily on the commentary of high-profile
“experts” whose names and visages are more memorable than their insights: mainly,
former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Anna Wintour, and Rock. But those voices are also
great advertisements for the film, and if you can’t get people to come see it, or sit up
and take notice when they’re watching it, why make it?
One of my favorite scenes is the almost surreal, tense conversation Serena has with
hitting partner Sasha Bajin while she’s running on a treadmill in the U.S. Open players’
workout room. Serena accuses him of not playing well enough against her, implying that
her struggle with her game at the tournament is partly his fault. Sasha pushes back and
stands up for himself, with vigor, while Serena stubbornly keeps repeating her simplistic
mantra: “You need to get better.” And in a related scene, she imperiously and almost
perversely dumps a mess of practice balls off her racquet and onto the court instead of
transferring them to Sasha – it’s as convincing a diva moment as you’ll see, and there’s
not a word uttered in the scene.
The replays of those two terrible U.S. Open Serena moments (the infamous foot fault
and “Come on” incidents) are well — and freshly — handled, and the filmmakers
showed great restraint in not over-emphasizing or over-complicating them. Some of my
favorite clips are Oracene moments. Venus and Serena’s mother comes off looking
great, and she handles questions about her former husband Richard with a delightful
combination of resignation, humor and dignity. Oracene doesn’t seem to say much, but
when she says anything – it counts. And that’s even true about the two or three
coaching tidbits she delivers (see, who said she’s not their “coach?”).
What really shines through in this movie is the closeness of Venus and Serena — the
powerful sisterly bond that has numerous implications and provides untold fodder for the
amateur psychologist. Will the women really be content to keep living together and
playing tennis, as Venus threatens to do, into their 40s and even 50s? Would either of
them ever marry and move out of the house they share, or will there be another film for
Baird and Major to shoot in the distant future — something more along the lines of
“Grey Gardens?”
That time flies is a given, although you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the way Venus
and Serena are immersed in what has now become a routine so routine that it isn’t even
recognized as such. Some of the most charming footage in this movie is of the girls as
adolescents, hitting tennis balls on that infamous court in Compton, Ca. - a
neighborhood not unlike hundreds of others across the country, but become iconic for
its history and legacy of crime and violence.
You look at those two fresh and beaming faces, those Pepsodent sister-smiles, those
beaded braids. My, how times change. But perhaps not all that much in the ways that
count most.
Posh Affairs
th
Wednesday, May 8 , 2013
Maiken Baird (filmmaker), Anna Wintour, and Michelle Major (filmmaker)
Last Thursday at the Beatrice Inn, Graydon Carter and Anna Wintour
hosted a cocktail party to toast Magnolia Pictures' documentary Venus and
Serena. Guests included John McEnroe and Patty Smyth, Maiken Baird
and Michelle Major (filmmakers), Wyclef Jean (soundtrack composer), Elliot
Spitzer, Sandra Bernhard, Rachel Roy, Derek Blasberg, Fran Lebowitz,
Tabitha Simmons, Alex Gibney, Anna Scott, Virginia Smith, Constance
Jablonski, Derek Blasberg, Gay Talese, Greg Kelly, and Veronica Kell.
Following cocktails at the Beatrice Inn, hosts Billie Jean King, John
McEnroe and "The Tennis Girls" Sara Ayres, Tory Burch, Ariadne CalvoPlatero, Jenny Conant, Cristina Cuomo, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, Gigi
Mortimer, Perri Peltz, Rene Rockefeller and Peggy Siegal feted filmmakers
Maiken Baird and Michelle Major at IFC Center for a special screening.
The night continued at La Villette on Downing Street for an after party.
John McEnroe, Billie Jean King talk ‘Venue and Serena’
Williams at NY premiere
th
By: Shaina Moskowitz/Saturday, May 4 , 2013
Tennis champion Billie Jean King, director Maiken Baird, director Michelle Major, champion John
McEnroe and actress Kristen Ruhli attend the Venus and Serena Special Screening at the IFC Center on
Thursday in New York.
On Thursday evening, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe and “The Tennis Girls” Sara
Ayres, Tory Burch (who did not attend), Ariadne Calvo-Platero, Jenny Conant, Cristina
Cuomo, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, Gigi Mortimer, Perri Peltz, Rene Rockefeller and
Peggy Siegal hosted a special screening of Magnolia Pictures’ documentary "Venus
and Serena." The evening consisted of a cocktail party, screening and after party. The
screening was held at IFC Center and a party followed at party followed at La Villette.
Due to training and matches in Europe, Venus and Serena Williams were unable to
attend the special screening. Serena sent a video message for attendees. She said:
Thank you so very much for your support of the film. I really wish I could be there, but
unfortunately I'm playing and getting ready...We're playing in Greece and then Rome
and Paris. So I really want to thank you again for your support and for just being there.
That was one of the most difficult years of my whole entire life. Everything that I went
through, everything you see on the film, was so difficult, and sometimes I look back and
think, how was I able to make it back to Number 1, after everything that I went through?
I just want to thank everyone, also that was with me in that whole year that helped me
get through an incredible, incredible time. It's a really great film, working with all the
producers was wonderful, and I hope you enjoy it, and thank you!
We were able to speak with Tennis legends Billie Jean King and John McEnroe on the
red carpet and they gave an entertaining introduction, too.
Q: How excited are you tonight for the sisters?
Billie Jean King: Oh, it's great. It's great for them, and Serena wrote a note to all of us
that she's very excited about it, and it's fun because I've known them since they're
babies, young, very young. I used to play exhibition with them. I was their Fed Cup
captain. So I've known them for a long, long time. I know the family and they're really
amazing people and they're still very young and they’ve got a lot of life ahead of them.
But what they’ve achieved so far is amazing and it transcended our sport, they’ve
pushed the envelope, they make everyone a better player.
Q: How do you think they’ve changed the game of tennis?
John McEnroe: Well, hopefully it will change more and more. I don't know think they
changed it as much as I'd like to see it changed because this story is so great and the
game has long been too inaccessible and too expensive, so hopefully they’ll inspire
some younger boys and girls of either minorities or kids who can't afford to do it and sort
of force people to start to figure out ways to get this game more affordable for more
people.
Check out highlights from the film's introduction, which was almost like a short
panel:
Michelle Major: After three years, we managed to convince Venus in July of 2010 that
she should let us come and follow her and Serena throughout the Tennis Season in
2011. Now, we thought they were going to be playing a lot of tennis because we were
looking to follow them in the tennis season, but as it turns out, they were quite injured
and Serena had a near death experience in January and February, the first three
months that we filmed with them.
Maiken Baird: And so, of course we were like, “What is this film going to be? This is not
what we planned. It was going to be this wonderful triumphant film of these amazing
tennis players, and they're not playing tennis. And it just went on and on and on, month
after month. Every month that they're not playing tennis, it ended up that we got to know
them and we just really got to know them...and really understand more about their story
than you would have if you were just watching them play tennis all year on the tour, in
essence.
But now we’d like to introduce the great Billie Jean King and John McEnroe!
Billie: First of all, well done...I certainly know what you had to go through to get this to
happen because it’s not that easy. Well done. I was amazed when you told me you
actually had their permission and you're going to make it happen. I'm like, “Oh my
goodness! That's good.”
John: It's incredible that you got them to come up with these life threatening illnesses,
too. [LAUGHS]
Billie: 2011 was quite a year, as you said, but I first met Serena and Venus when they
were little tykes in Long Beach, California. They came to a Team Tennis clinic we had.
I'm from Long Beach. Compton, where they grew up is right next door to it. In fact, they
lived across from the high school I went to, when they were a little older. And I
remember them standing in line and Venus was first in line. She was the older one. She
is 15 months older than Serena. And I remember Serena standing right behind her and
then to the side was mom Oracene, because mom wanted to hear what I had to say
about their volley, so I'll never forget it. We had 1,200 kids that day and they stood out
and not just because they're African-Americans either - we had a lot of AfricanAmericans that day. They just had something special about them and that's where our
relationship started and continues through today because I got to be the Fed Cup
captain for many years.
And the one thing I love about both of them, which is so true of Number One’s in the
world, is they love to be challenged. They always want to get better no matter what is
happening. One year, at the year 2000 Olympics, when I was the Olympic coach with
them, the goal that time, they wanted to learn how to play doubles because the way
they played doubles is like two singles players. And so their goal that year was to play
like doubles players. It was hysterical just to go through that process with them,
because one thing that's great about them, they're always willing to laugh. So we could
always laugh and joke around and they're great with the team because they got the
team to open up and really talk. So I was indebted to them as the captain because they
were so good to the others and really embraced them and got them to talk at dinners,
which a lot of times it would be quiet. They really made the place rock, so it was fun. But
they did play great doubles that year. Bill Gates and Melinda Gates came to watch them
and hopped on the stands and they won the gold in doubles that year. They were so
excited. They're like, “Oh, I learned how to play doubles! This is great!” So it was fun.
John: Well, I wanted to say to Maiken and Michelle that for tennis, we are very proud to
be a part of this in a small way. I'm very hopeful that this release will boost our sport
because obviously it's the sport Billie Jean King and I love quite a bit and we need this
boost, and this story is unbelievable. I think that when you watch this documentary, you
get a better understanding of how truly remarkable it is, how unusual that these two
African-American girls from Compton, California were able to succeed at this level, as
sisters. I, like Billie Jean King, actually was training in LA. I spent a fair amount of time
in LA in the late 80’s and then in 1989, I had a coach and he said to me, “Listen, I got
these two girls I want you to come see. They're going to be the number one players in
the world.” And along came Richard and I hit a few balls with them and then I said, “Call
me in ten years.”
...And Richard [Williams] was boasting...And you see in the film as well that Richard is
so spectacular. It really is [spectacular] the way he brought them out on the courts and
he was just telling anyone that wanted to listen. I didn't realize that he was going around
telling everyone that these two were going to be the best in the world. And then when
Venus came along we said, “This is incredible that this girl’s so good.” And then before
she had even really done as much as she ended up doing obviously, he said ”Well, I got
this other one that's going to even be better than her!”...“You can't be serious!” someone
said.
The other part that's amazing because I actually did have a brother that played
professional tennis, so I understood at least to a very small degree what Venus as the
older sister was going through, and I got to say that the way that she has treated
Serena and has been behind her all these years through thick and thin, is remarkable,
because I guarantee you that I would have dusted my brother off and told him to take a
freaking hike if he started beating me…The little brother in my family doesn't beat the
older brother. And that would never happen as long as I live. [LAUGHS]...Although it
never happened. I never did lose to Patrick. But anyway, it would be a very difficult
thing...Serena to me - and along with Billie Jean - when she's on her game, she's the
greatest player that ever played the game, and athletically it's just spectacular. So I'm
quite hopeful that this documentary, along with their story...will help our sport.
Billie Jean King came from the public courts, but it hasn’t been affordable enough and
accessible enough and available enough for too many people...This [documentary] is
going to change things. And you mentioned that you had filmed it during 2011. For
those of you who haven’t seen it, it's an unbelievable story to see what they went
through and to see what they had to endure. Not only that year but other years, they’ve
gone through way more than I've ever had to go through and I was b*tching and whining
my whole career. [LAUGHS] I know that's hard to believe. I complained a little. But
these ladies endured a hundred times more than I ever did and they did it with dignity
and class and they’ve made our sport a lot better. So here's to you two for putting this
documentary together.
Film Synopsis: Ever since Venus and Serena Williams started playing in tennis
tournaments, they've provoked strong reactions - from awe and admiration to suspicion
and resentment. They've been winning championships for over a decade, pushing the
limits of longevity in such a demanding sport. How long can they last? In Venus &
Serena, we gain unprecedented access into their lives during the most intimidating year
of their career. Over the course of 2011, Venus grappled with an energy-sapping
autoimmune disease while Serena battled back from a life-threatening pulmonary
embolism. Neither Venus nor Serena let their adversities hold them back. They drew
their greatest strength from each other.
"Venus and Serena" hits theaters on May 10.
‘When a guy comes out it’s a bigger deal because its macho.’
Tennis legend Billie Jean King says media is more interested
in Jason Collins than
Britteny Griner
rd
By: Emily Shire/Friday, May 3 , 2013
Champion: Former tennis champ Billie Jean King attends the Venus and Serena Special Screening in
New York on Thursday night. She says it's a 'bigger deal' when male athletes come out of the closet.
Tennis great Billie Jean King claims the media is far more interested in 'macho'
basketball player Jason Collins coming out as gay than fellow athlete Britteny Griner.
The 69-year-old champion - who was the first professional athlete to be 'outed' in 1981 spoke out after both Jason and Britteny declared they are gay this month.
Saying she was extremely proud of both of them, Billie still insisted that there is a huge
difference in men and women coming out in sports, telling MailOnline; 'What I find
extraordinary is how much attention the media has given to Jason, but how little they
gave to Britteny two weeks ago.
'That wasn't in the headlines because we're female. When a guy comes out it's a bigger
deal because it's macho and all that. It just shows you that the media is controlled by
men because it's about them.'
Billie was outed as gay when her former girlfriend Marilyn Barnett filed a 'palimony' suit
in 1981.
And when asked why she had not come out earlier, Billie - speaking at the New York
premiere of new documentary, Venus and Serena, at the IFC center on Thursday night
- stressed: 'Do you realise what 1980 was like? The 1970s? It was completely different
than what it is now. It is a better time than ever, and tomorrow will probably be better.;
When asked about Jason's announcement this week, she said: I'm gay, so I'm thrilled.
'I was outed; it's a big difference. He came out on his own terms, which really made me
happy for him because it will make his life easier and better. It isn't going to be easy, but
now he can be true to himself. Hopefully he can just live his life.
'I am going to call Jason and thank him for being so brave and courageous.'
Billie - who won a total of 39 Grand Slam titles throughout her career - is in long-term
relationship with former tennis player Ilana Kloss.
And she said she hoped that the brave statements made by Jason and Brittany would
help struggling youngsters, saying: 'With suicide rates so high with LGBT kids, I think it's
going to help them be proud of themselves.
'I think it will hopefully help their parents to calm down and not be so homophobic. He
shows that it's okay to be whoever you are.'
Billie added: 'The gay issue is really the civil rights issue of the 21st Century, at least the
early part. I hope it's just the early part.
'I hope it's a non-issue very, very soon. The tipping point has happened. Because of
social media, the distribution of information is so much better, quicker, mobilize easier.
It's really an exciting moment to be a live. I'm so grateful I'm still alive.'
Brave: NBA Basketball pro Jason Collins came out as gay this week, saying: 'I'm a 34-year-old NBA
center. I'm black. And I'm gay.'
Inspiring: WBNA star Britteny Griner came out as gay earlier this month and said: 'Don't hide who you
really are.'
Meanwhile, tennis champion John McEnroe also turned up at the screening of the
documentary, which follows the Williams sisters and their fascinating relationship and
tennis careers.
McEnroe, 54, also praised Jason, saying: 'Little by little you see the walls crumbling
down. Next thing you know, maybe one of the best tennis players will do it. That will be
interesting.'
Speaking about Venus and Serena, McEnroe praised the sisters for helping to make
tennis more accessible, saying: 'Tennis has always been a sport that is too expensive
and not accessible enough, and their story is incredible. I'm hoping it will inspire more
kids to play the game and that the powers that be will make it more affordable"
'They're incredible payers. They've stepped up big when it matters.The fact of how close
they've stayed is the amazing part to me.'
Billie added: 'I've known them since they were babies, young girls. I was their Fed Cup
coach. They're really amazing people, and they're still so young. What they've achieved
so far is amazing, and they've transcended the sport.They push the envelope to make
everyone a better player. They're making the next generation better. It's fantastic to
watch.'
Winner: Billie Jean King holds aloft the Wimbledon ladies singles trophy after winning the title in July
1975.
In action: Billie Jean King serves the ball during a match at Wimbledon in England.
She added: 'They always want to keep improving, which I love. Number ones always
want to get better; they want to be challenged.'
They're interested in a lot of things, which makes them interesting as people. I just think
they've done so much for the sport and continue to do so.'
She reminisced on when she first met the Williams sisters as little girls, saying: 'I saw
them at a tennis clinic in long Beach, CA when they were around eight or ten years old.
'We had 1,200 kids that day, and they stood out to me. Venus told her mother "I just
want to impress Billie," but they didn't have to. They had already impressed me.'
And discussing their impact on the sport, Billie said: 'It's huge. They've both been
number one. They're African American, which is great for kids of color to see. If you can
see it, you can be it.'
Venus and Serena opens in theaters on May 10.
Golden girls: Tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams - seen her at the 2013 Australian Open in
Melbourne in January - are the subject of a new documentary about their lives and sibling rivalry.
Premiere: Tennis champion Billie Jean King, director Maiken Baird, director Michelle Major, champion
John McEnroe and actress Kristen Ruhli attend the Venus and Serena Special Screening at the IFC
Center on Thursday in New York.
Exclusive video of Wyclef Jean creating music for the ‘Venus
and Serena’
Documentary Soundtrack
th
Saturday, May 4 , 2013
Wyclef Jean poses with “Venus and Serena” directors Maiken Baird (L) and Michelle Major (R) at a
special New York screening of their documentary at IFC Center in New York City on May 2, 2013.
On Thursday evening, The Source Magazine caught up with Wyclef Jean at a special
screening of Magnolia Pictures’ tennis documentary “Venus and Serena,” which gives
audiences a very intimate look into the lives of the world famous tennis players Venus
and Serena Williams and chronicles their rise to greatness. Wyclef Jean composed the
score for the documentary. Check out our interview with Wyclef Jean from the red
carpet and check out our EXCLUSIVE video of Wyclef in the studio working on the
music for the film (using very unorthodox methods). Special thanks to the film’s directors
Maiken Baird and Michelle Major for the video.
Q: How did you first meet Venus and Serena Williams?
Wyclef Jean: My relationship with Venus goes back to “Iconoclasts” where I basically
was teaching her how to play guitar and she was teaching me how to play tennis. It
developed then. Then I wrote a song for her called, “Your Name is Venus, Ruler of the
Universe,” and then six months later I saw Serena in the club and she’s like, “Where’s
my song?” And just connected with them. So, when it was time to do the score, it wasn’t
hard, you know, because I was a fan, watched them, and I just based the music around
triumph.
Q: Congrats on your new mix-tape ”April Showers”.
Wyclef Jean: Yes, and it’s killing the house. You know what I mean? I say, “Don’t call
this a comeback, I’ve been here for years.” I actually got the line from LL. But the
downloads are incredible, thank you, and it’s 33 tracks and what people are loving the
most is it’s original music…I was speaking to the owner of DatPiff and he was like, “Clef,
for a kid that’s 14 or 15, you’re a new artist, when they hear you singing against an
acoustic guitar or rhyming, that doesn’t exist in this generation. If you don’t do it and
spin it the way you do it, it doesn’t exist.” So, it’s definitely dope. Y’all should definitely
download the mix-tape It has 33 tracks. Music, man, you dig what I’m sayin’? So, and
then I did that purposefully because this generation of kids is all about downloading the
singles ’cause they forgot how good it is.
Q: Where did the title come from for “April Showers”?
Wyclef Jean: “April Showers” is basically—it’s a blessing, you know? The idea of
sometimes in the ghetto, when a dude is coming up like, “Yo, we gonna spray the block
up,” and sometimes what can be so devastating can turn around to create people like
us, you know? So, what appears so devastating, God can make so beautiful.
The special screening was held at IFC Center and Tennis Icons Billie Jean King and
John McEnroe served as hosts for the evening. A party followed at La Villette.
“Venus and Serena” hits theaters on May 10, 2013 and is currently available On
Demand.
Last Night’s
Parties
rd
Friday, May 3 , 2013
[Photo: John McEnroe, Billie Jean King, Maiken Baird, Michelle Major]
Where: IFC Center
Who was there: Guests included Anna Wintour, Michelle Major, Virginia Smith, Maiken
Baird, Graydon Carter, Anna Carter, Alex Gibney, Tim Luke, Elliot Spitzer, John
McEnroe, Patty Smyth, Christina Cuomo, Gigi Mortimer, Billie Jean King, Sandra
Bernhard, Fran Lebowitz, Constance Jablonski, Derek Blasberg, Greg Kelly, Veronica
Kelly, Gay Talese, Wyclef Jean, Rachel Roy, Kristen Ruhlin, Eamon Bowles, and
Alyson Furch.
Other details:
Tanzina Vega (@tanzinavega) tweeted:
#Tennis hasn't been "afforbable enough and accessible enough" John McEnroe.
Derek Blasberg (@DerekBlasberg) tweeted:
I'm at a cocktail party and Fran Leibovitz is here and we are wearing the same outfit and
I think it's fantastic