Movies by Donna Godchaux

Long Strange Trip

Long Strange Trip

The tale of the Grateful Dead is inspiring, complicated, and downright messy. A tribe of contrarians, they made art out of open-ended chaos and inadvertently achieved success on their own terms. Never-before-seen footage and interviews offer this unprecedented and unvarnished look at the life of the Dead.

Grateful Dead: The Closing of Winterland

Grateful Dead: The Closing of Winterland

The Closing Of Winterland documents the Grateful Dead's landmark New Year's Eve 1978 concert that marked the end of the famed San Francisco Bay Area venue Winterland Aena. The Dead celebrated the closing as an approximately five-hour-long party (complete with breakfast with the audience at dawn) and invited some guests including guitarist John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service and Ken Kesey as well as actor Dan Aykroyd who provided the midnight countdown.

Grateful Dead: New Jersey Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo - Live at The Capitol Theater

Grateful Dead: New Jersey Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo - Live at The Capitol Theater

1977 saw The Grateful Dead at the height of their powers. The new songs were solid, the band was playing better than ever and the bootleg recordings from that year prove it. This video captures the second and third nights of a three-night stand at Passaic, New Jersey's Capitol Theater. Highlights include: "Estimated Prophet", "Eyes Of The World", "Sugar Magnolia", "Promised Land", "Loser" and many more.

Grateful Dead: Sunshine Daydream

Grateful Dead: Sunshine Daydream

Sunshine Daydream is a concert film starring the Grateful Dead. On a blistering summer day in 1972, the Grateful Dead took the stage on the grounds of the Oregon Country Fair in Veneta, Oregon. for what would become one of the most legendary concerts of the band’s storied history. Considered to be the Merry Pranksters last "Acid Test", the concert offers a snapshot of the band at the peak of its playing prowess. The setlist that day included memorable performance of "Sugaree, " "Deal, " "Black-Throated Wind, " "Greatest Story Ever Told, " ...

Move Me Brightly - Celebrating Jerry Garcia's 70th Birthday

Move Me Brightly - Celebrating Jerry Garcia's 70th Birthday

"Move Me Brightly" is a film based around a musical gathering at Bob Weir's TRI Studios in San Rafael, California to mark what would have been Jerry Garcia's 70th birthday on 3rd August, 2012. The revolving line-up of performers included fellow Grateful Dead members along with many guest artists who joined together to celebrate Jerry Garcia's life and work. Grateful Dead bandmates and other musicians who played with or were inspired by him. It is fitting tribute to one of rock music's most creative and imaginative composers and performers. F...