A documentary that introduces the 1985 global charity hit “We Are the World” in a new light is now streaming on Netflix, diving deep into the iconic song’s history and the remarkable talents in and behind the scenes who gave it life.
Old song, new story
Released on March 7, 1985, “We Are the World” is a charity single produced to benefit Ethiopia amid a famine that killed up to 1.2 million people. Written by Richie and Michael Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, and released by Columbia Records, the song became the fastest-selling U.S. pop single in history, won multiple Grammys and raised millions to help the starving African country.
More than 40 musicians formed the supergroup USA for Africa to record the song on the night of Jan. 28, 1985. Nguyen, whose works have appeared on HBO, the New York Times, NBC, PBS and Vice, sought to deliver a fresh form of nostalgia in “The Greatest Night.”
“I was acutely aware of its monumental legacy, but I wanted to peel back the layers, find a new angle,” the Maryland-born creative tells NextShark. “It struck me as a heist film, an ensemble cast with a ticking clock and I did a lot of work with our editor at first, Nic Zimmermann, to strike that tone. This wasn’t just about nostalgia; it was about rediscovery, finding the heartbeat of that night.”
Nguyen says their work involved interspersing present-day reflections with archival frenzy to find a balance between the immediacy of the moment and the weight of its legacy.
“It’s about capturing that spontaneity, the unscripted vulnerabilities of icons, and presenting it…
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