According to the L.A. Times, Serena and Venus Williams have blown a gasket over that new documentary about them, Venus and Serena, which premiered earlier this month at the Toronto Film Festival.
In fact, they are so upset with the final result, that they both refused to appear at the film's premiere at the festival, despite the fact that they orginally authorized and fully participated in the making of film ,which lasted for some 20 months.
The film, which has received rave reviews from the likes of Variety, calling it "a warts and all" film, and is currently looking for distribution, was directed by first timers Maiken Baird and Michelle Major, who both previously worked at ABC News.
After pursuing the sisters for four years, the filmmakers finally got their permission, and started work on the project in January 2011, getting exclusive access to them, their family and friends, winding up with some 450 hours of footage before post-production.
The film details their lives and careers, but what has angered the sisters is the film's portrayal of their father, Richard Williams and "his foibles, from his out-of-wedlock children to a 78-page manifesto he had plotting out his daughters’ success at a very young age."
Reportedly, this angered the sisters, especially Venus, and, as a result, they demanded changes to be made in the film. Some were made, but after viewing the film in August, Venus felt that the alterations were not good anough to change her mind, and refused to support the film.
The filmmakers say that they are sorry that the sisters are not pleased with the film, but said that neither sister had any preconditions before filming began, and that they will come around to change their minds and support the film.
As Baird said: “We think this is an important story, and we can only hope Venus and Serena come to see it that way too.”
But anyone could have told the Williams sisters that, once you let someone in your house with a camera, as soon as they get into the editing room, they can make you look like anything.
They must have had concerns, or else why did they hold out for four years?