Jimi: All Is by My Side

Jimi: All Is by My Side  is a British-Irish drama film about Jimi Hendrix, written and directed by John Ridley. It was screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.  It also screened at the South by Southwest film festival and then released in the UK the following summer. The film screened at the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) on 26 July 2014. The film does not include any songs written by Hendrix, as the filmmakers' request to use them was denied by Experience Hendrix LLC (Hendrix's estate). Instead, the film – set in London in 1966 and 1967 – will include the songs that Hendrix performed during those years, shortly before the release of his debut album, Are You Experienced. The film has caused controversy as several of Hendrix's friends, including Kathy Etchingham, have vocally decried the film as largely fictitious. This includes scenes depicting a fictionalized Hendrix violently and repeatedly beating Etchingham (played by Hayley Atwell). In interviews given recently, Etchingham describes Hendrix as a gentle man, and the time she spent with him some of the best years of her life.