Beyoncé premiered her long a waited documentary Life Is But A Dream yesterday on HBO. The documentary gives a better look at who Beyoncé is as a person, and it was made with that intention according to HBO Programming president, Michael Lombardo. “Everybody knows Beyoncé’s music, but few know Beyoncé the person,” said Lombardo. The documentary not only shows “electrifying footage of Beyoncé onstage,” but takes you “beyond the glamour to reveal a vibrant, vulnerable, unforgettable woman.” It goes all the way to her childhood in Houston, with home movies revealing the close bond she built with her family. The documentary also shows the present, Beyoncé’s family life including her return to the spotlight after the birth of her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, in January 2012.

This was Beyoncé’s reply on why she wanted a documentary.

First of all, I just wanted to cut through the noise. We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture where there’s a lot of information traveling and a lot of talk, but if you really take a look you’ll see that for the most part, it’s not me doing the talking. Making a documentary was a chance to show who I am and what I really care about.

And it was a new experience for me and an opportunity to examine my thoughts and emotions in a new way, to examine how I look at the world and the people around me, especially during a time when my spirit was put to the test. I was starting a business, launching a record and keeping a big secret inside of me, and it was a way to maintain my sanity, to keep my grip on the world.  I learned so much about myself in making this film, and that is what art is for me, an exploration of self.

In an interview Beyoncé said that she went ahead and did Life Is But A Dream, because “HBO has a history of pushing every boundary with class and authenticity.”

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