Pete Doherty has spoken about a forthcoming documentary about his life which he thinks he’s unlikely to be able to watch again.
The Libertines and Babyshambles singer, songwriter and guitarist said in a new video interview with NME that he found the film “quite heavy” to watch, since it focuses on his past drug abuse and experiences with fame.
The documentary Peter Doherty – Stranger In My Own Skin is filmed and directed by Doherty’s wife, Katia deVidas, a musician who also plays in Doherty’s other solo outfit band The Puta Madres.
DeVidas shot more than 200 hours of exclusive “intimate” footage across a decade that at points details Doherty “plunging into the depths of addiction at the very height of his popularity”.
NME‘s Andrew Trendell sat down recently with Doherty and his Libertines bandmate Carl Barat to talk about the band’s first album in nearly a decade, ‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade‘, as well as the upcoming documentary.
When asked how it feels to see his life put under the microscope, and to have done so in collaboration with his wife, Doherty said: “I’m really happy for Katia, really. It’s been finished for quite a while. I just hope the world gives her the credit she’s due.
“Now we’re thinking about the next project for her. She wants to do a fiction film. Hopefully if this does well and she can get the money together for the next project, it’ll be amazing. I’ll just be made up for her.”
Doherty continued: “It’s quite heavy watching a lot of that stuff, but it is a different time. The fuzz, forcefield and camouflage of the drugs I was taking at the time meant that I wasn’t arsed about what people thought or how I looked.”
Asked whether the film is “drawing the curtain over that part of your life”, Doherty added: “Yeah, I still feel really connected to that fella up there on the screen. I can see it’s me, but I don’t think I’ll be able to watch it again, to be honest.”
Barat, meanwhile, confirmed that he’s also seen the documentary and that he also found it to be challenging viewing.
“Anything like that is hard to watch,” he said. “[Katia’s] been making it for 10 years, and I think it’s a beautiful portrayal. It’s through her eyes, and I think she’s done a great job.”
Peter Doherty – Stranger In My Own Skin hits cinemas from November 9, with screenings taking place in the UK, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Ireland and Austria.
Visit here for a list of participating cinemas and for ticket details.
It arrives in March as the follow-up to 2015’s ‘Anthems For Doomed Youth’.