‘I Am Heath Ledger’ Trailer Breaks Fans’ Hearts, As Close Friends Remember The Late Actor [Video]

I Am Heath Ledger is to be a feature film-length documentary celebrating the late actor’s life with an exploration of his days off camera as well as his experiences on the sets of such films as The Dark Knight, 10 Things I Hate About You, and A Knight’s Tale, to name a few. Ledger is still remembered and mourned by fans, who speak his name with the reverence reserved for those who have left a mark with their personal lives as well as with their creative endeavors. A new I Am Heath Ledger trailer gives fans their first glimpses of what the documentary will include.

I Am Heath Ledger Looks at a Brief But Stellar Life

The I Am Heath Ledger documentary is as much a tribute to the late actor as it is a gift to his fans, and as USA Today reports, it gives audiences a much more intimate look into Ledger’s life. The documentary incorporates Heath’s own home movies with interviews with his sister, Kate Ledger, and Brokeback Mountain Director Ang Lee, as well as others who knew Heath.

Collecting memories and personal accounts of Ledger from those who knew him makes I Am Heath Ledger an emotionally charged experience, even for the casual fan. The documentary presents a Heath Ledger compromised by the very dreams he had sought throughout his life.

“He wanted fame,” says Matt Amato, who produced I Am Heath Ledger, “and then when he got it he didn’t want it.”

Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York hotel room on January 22, 2008. Later, the medical examiner would discover that Ledger had died of “acute intoxication,” due to an overdose of painkillers and sedatives.

I Am Heath Ledger will also include interviews with Naomi Watts, Djimon Hounsou, Emile Hirsch, Ben Harper, and Ledger’s surviving family members.

The I Am Heath Ledger Trailer Hits Fans in the Heart

Sharing the I Am Heath Ledger trailer, CNet draws attention to the heartbreaking documentary that will inevitably become a permanent addition to the video libraries of Heath’s millions of fans. The documentary’s producers had a real treasure trove to choose from, because, as can be seen even in this two-and-a-half minute trailer, Ledger had always had a filmmaker’s heart. Those closest to him reveal that Heath was rarely seen without a camera of some sort in hand.

The late actor is featured heavily in his own home movies, as though documenting his life for the day when he would no longer be available to speak directly with his adoring followers. Ledger is seen through the eyes of the I Am Heath Ledger producers as someone all too human, brimming with talent and ambition, but ultimately finding success to be less thrilling than he had anticipated.

“Even as supporting actor, he will steal the whole show,” says Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee. “That’s the power of Heath Ledger.”

There’s a moment in the I Am Heath Ledger trailer with the late actor’s sister, Kate, speaking about that power, particularly in relation to the affect Heath’s smile could have on those around him. As proof, a montage of video images follow, featuring that legendary Heath Ledger smile and giving his fans a moment to lose themselves in the joy of their memories of that actor.

The truth, a world that goes on without the brilliance of Ledger’s performances, is too harsh to bare so soon after being lost in Heath’s past.

Fans will have several opportunities to catch the documentary. I Am Heath Ledger will debut at Tribeca Film Festival on April 23 and then premiere in select theaters on May 3. On May 17, I Am Heath Ledger will also air on Spike TV.

[Featured Image by Renaissance Films]