A Day in the Life of America

Last updated
A Day in the Life of America
A Day in the Life of America.jpg
Official release poster
Directed by Jared Leto
Produced by
  • Jared Leto
  • Emma Ludbrook
  • Matt Benson
Edited by
  • Samuel Nalband
  • Andy Worboys
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by PBS (North America)
Release dates
  • April 27, 2019 (2019-04-27)(Tribeca)
  • January 11, 2021 (2021-01-11)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A Day in the Life of America is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Jared Leto. Shot over the course of 2017 Independence Day, the film depicts glimpses into the diversity and division of the United States. It was conceived as a companion piece to America (2018), the fifth studio album by Leto's rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. [1]

Contents

The film was inspired by the Day in the Life photography books, a series of works by photographer David Elliot Cohen who documented subjects over the course of a single day. [2] To capture footage for the documentary, Leto sent 92 crews to all fifty States of America, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, in addition to user-submitted clips from July 4, 2017. [3]

Leto produced the film with Emma Ludbrook, through their production company Paradox, and with Matt Benson through Interscope Films. A Day in the Life of America premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival to critical acclaim. [4] It had its broadcast premiere on PBS as part of Independent Lens on January 11, 2021. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Leto</span> American actor and musician (born 1971)

Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Additionally, he is recognised for his musicianship and eccentric stage persona as a member of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirty Seconds to Mars</span> American rock band from Los Angeles

Thirty Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto and Shannon Leto. During the course of its existence, it has undergone various line-up changes with the Leto brothers being the only consistent members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Leto</span> American drummer (born 1970)

Shannon Leto is an American musician best known as the drummer of rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He co-founded the group in 1998 in Los Angeles, California, with his younger brother Jared. Their debut album, 30 Seconds to Mars (2002), was released to positive reviews but only to limited success. The band achieved worldwide fame with the release of their second album A Beautiful Lie (2005). Their following releases, This Is War (2009) and Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013), received further critical and commercial success. As of September 2014, the band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">From Yesterday</span> 2006 single by 30 Seconds to Mars

"From Yesterday" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, and the third single released from their second album A Beautiful Lie. The song impacted radio on October 17, 2006. The music video for the song is believed to be the first ever American music video shot in the People's Republic of China in its entirety. The music video is also the last video by the band to feature bass player Matt Wachter. The song won the Kerrang! Award for Best Single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Kill</span> 2006 single by Thirty Seconds to Mars

"The Kill" (written "The Kill (Bury Me)" on the single and music video) is a song by American band Thirty Seconds to Mars. The song was released on January 24, 2006 as the second single from their second album, A Beautiful Lie. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>To the Edge of the Earth</i> 2008 EP by Thirty Seconds to Mars

To the Edge of the Earth is a limited edition extended play (EP) by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released in the United States on March 25, 2008 by Virgin Records. The two-disc set includes three different recordings of the band's track "A Beautiful Lie" and a DVD featuring two versions of the song's music video. The photography for the release was handled by Jacques Descloitres from NASA, who provided satellite images of the Arctic Circle.

<i>This Is War</i> 2009 studio album by Thirty Seconds to Mars

This Is War is the third studio album by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released on December 8, 2009 through Virgin Records. It was the band's first studio album in four years, after the breakthrough of their previous work, A Beautiful Lie (2005). The album was recorded over a span of two years while the band was in the midst of a legal dispute with Virgin over an alleged breach-of-contract. The case was later settled in April 2009, and the band signed to EMI later that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane (Thirty Seconds to Mars song)</span> 2009 song by Thirty Seconds to Mars

"Hurricane" is a song written by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars that is featured on their third studio album, This Is War. The song was written by lead vocalist and songwriter Jared Leto and produced by Leto, Flood and Steve Lilywhite. There are two versions of this song, one of which is included on the album and another which is a collaboration with rapper Kanye West, titled "Hurricane 2.0". "Hurricane" was awarded Best Single at the Kerrang! Awards 2011. The thirteen-minute music video, directed by Leto under the pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins, garnered controversy when it premiered on November 29, 2010. It was banned by MTV because of its sexual content. An edited version, however, was put on heavy rotation on MTV2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings and Queens (Thirty Seconds to Mars song)</span> 2009 single by Thirty Seconds to Mars

"Kings and Queens" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their third studio album This Is War (2009). Written by lead vocalist Jared Leto across the United States and South Africa, the track was produced by Flood, Steve Lillywhite and Thirty Seconds to Mars. According to Leto, the lyrics of "Kings and Queens" explore the triumphant feeling of human possibilities. The melody of the song contains several qualities similar to that of 1980s adult contemporary musical works and is imbued with elements of progressive rock. The song was released as the lead single from This Is War on October 13, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Closer to the Edge</span> 2010 single by Thirty Seconds to Mars

"Closer to the Edge" is a song written by Jared Leto and performed by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. Produced by the band, co-produced by Flood, the track is the seventh track and the third single from their third studio album This Is War. It was released in the US on August 20, 2010.

<i>Artifact</i> (film) 2012 American film

Artifact is a 2012 American documentary film directed by Jared Leto under the pseudonym of Bartholomew Cubbins. It was produced by Leto and Emma Ludbrook through their production company Sisyphus. Artifact chronicles the modern music business as it charts the legal dispute between Leto's rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars and record label EMI, which filed a $30 million breach of contract lawsuit against them in 2008, after the band tried to exit its contract over a royalties dispute. Thirty Seconds to Mars is shown working with producer Flood to create the 2009 album This Is War, meeting with lawyers between recording sessions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Up in the Air (song)</span> 2013 single by Thirty Seconds to Mars

"Up in the Air" is a song recorded by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fourth studio album, Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). Written by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who also produced the song with Steve Lillywhite, "Up in the Air" is an introspective and passionate track reflecting upon human consciousness. It marked a departure from much of the band's previous work as it incorporates a more electronic-influenced sound as well as elements from new wave music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Leto filmography</span>

Jared Leto is an American entertainer with an extensive career in film, music, and television. He made his debut with minor roles in the television shows Camp Wilder (1992) and Almost Home (1993). He achieved recognition in 1994 for his role as Jordan Catalano in the teen drama television series My So-Called Life. The show was praised for its portrayal of adolescence and gained a cult following, despite being canceled after only one season. The same year, he made his television film debut starring alongside Alicia Silverstone in Cool and the Crazy. Leto's first film role was in the 1995 drama How to Make an American Quilt. He later co-starred with Christina Ricci in The Last of the High Kings (1996) and received a supporting role in Switchback (1997). In 1997, Leto starred in the biopic Prefontaine in which he played the role of Olympic hopeful Steve Prefontaine. His portrayal received positive reviews from critics and is often considered his breakthrough role. The following year, Leto starred together with Alicia Witt in the horror Urban Legend. He then acted alongside Sean Penn and Adrien Brody in the war film The Thin Red Line (1998). After supporting roles in Black and White and Girl, Interrupted, Leto portrayed Angel Face in Fight Club (1999), which has since become a cult film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Angels (Thirty Seconds to Mars song)</span> 2013 song by Thirty Seconds to Mars

"City of Angels" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). Written by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who co-produced the song with Steve Lillywhite, "City of Angels" was inspired by Leto's experience of living in Los Angeles with his family and was influenced by the city's culture. Imbued with elements of synthrock as well as music from the 1980s, the track was cited as an example of the album's variety and experimentation. It was one of the first songs to be written for Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams, but required a long period of time to record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VyRT</span>

VyRT was an American provider of on-demand Internet streaming media available to viewers worldwide. The company was established in late 2011 and was headquartered in Los Angeles, California. VyRT was founded by entertainer Jared Leto as a website for hosting online events, but soon diversified into featuring digital distribution and online shopping. It also included social networking.

Into the Wild is an American documentary series written and directed by Jared Leto. The series tells the story behind the concert tour of the same name by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, which propelled the group into arenas around the world and was certified by the Guinness World Records as the longest running tour in the history of rock music. The series is produced by Leto and Emma Ludbrook through the production company Sisyphus Corporation. Into the Wild premiered internationally on November 30, 2014, on the online platform VyRT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk on Water (Thirty Seconds to Mars song)</span> 2017 single by Thirty Seconds to Mars

"Walk on Water" is a song recorded by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fifth studio album America. It was produced by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who wrote the song alongside drummer Shannon Leto, with production contributions from Stevie Aiello, Arkadi Zaslavski and Mike Elizondo, among others.

<i>America</i> (Thirty Seconds to Mars album) 2018 studio album by Thirty Seconds to Mars

America is the fifth studio album by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released on April 6, 2018 through Interscope Records. It is their first album in five years, after Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013), as well as their first release for Interscope, following the band's departure from Virgin Records in 2014. It is also the final album by the band to feature lead guitarist Tomo Miličević, who left the band two months after its release.

"Rescue Me" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fifth studio album America (2018). It was written and produced by Jared Leto and KillaGraham. "Rescue Me" was described as a song exploring themes such as pain, empowerment, faith, and freedom. Critics acknowledged eclectic influences that resonate throughout the track, including elements from dance-rock.

References

  1. Baltin, Steve (June 29, 2017). "Jared Leto Talks 'A Day in the Life of America' Film Project and New 30 Seconds to Mars Album". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Phillips, Craig (January 6, 2021). "How Jared Leto and 92 Film Crews Captured 24 Hours in America". PBS. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  3. Grobar, Matt (April 25, 2019). "Jared Leto Enlists 92 Crews To Capture 'A Day In The Life Of America'". Deadline. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  4. Robinson, Jennifer (January 11, 2021). "Jared Leto's A Day in the Life of America to Make Public Television Debut on PBS's Independent Lens in January 2021". KPBS. Retrieved January 11, 2021.