Documentary filmmakers DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus (”Startup.com,” “The War Room”) and journalist Roger Friedman document the great soul singers of the 1960s and early 1970s in their upcoming film, Only The Strong Survive. Their film is due to be theatrically released May 9th and distributed via Miramax. From the official press release:

Many of the legends of soul died at an early age: Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, practically all of the Temptations among them. But those who are still alive have been largely ignored since their youth – relegated to oldies shows and budget tours – until now.

The Pennebaker team put together a concert of the great soul survivors, reuniting many of the stars under the influential Stax record label, including Wilson Pickett, “The Iceman” Jerry Butler, former Supreme Mary Wilson, The Chi-Lites, Sam Moore, and Carla and Rufus Thomas, whose duet “Nighttime is The Right Time” brings the film to a climactic close. The result is a musical celebration of soul, a glimpse into the skewed world of the music industry, and a compelling narrative of these seven talented acts who’ve lived extraordinary lives beyond our expectations.

Read reviews of Only The Strong Survive here. The official web site here.