When Billie Holiday graced a stage and opened her mouth to croon, she was so mesmerizing that all eyes invariably would alight on her. Infusing each syllable with the heartache she saw in real life, the grand dame of jazz made each song, including such memorable tunes as "God Bless the Child" and "Strange Fruit," her own. This documentary collects rarely seen footage of Holiday doing what she does best: singing her pain away.