Alum TJ Martin directs “TINA” documentary

The Fairhaven grad co-directed a compelling, unvarnished look at Turner’s soaring and turbulent 60-year career
Window magazine staff

TJ Martin’s latest project, a documentary about musical icon Tina Turner, received ovations from critics and lots of viewers during the film’s premier month on HBO in April.

Martin, ’05, B.A., American cultural studies and Fairhaven interdisciplinary concentration, joined longtime artistic partner Dan Lindsay in directing “TINA,” a compelling, unvarnished look at Turner’s soaring and turbulent 60-year career.

While much has been written about Turner’s life and career, including her own recent memoir, Martin and Lindsay still cover new ground.

“It wasn’t until we really engaged with the film that we realized the journey that we went on with Tina was this discovery that she is actually trying to hang up the persona of Tina,” Martin told NPR’s Michel Martin. “And whether she was privy to that going into it or not, we certainly were not aware.”

Martin and Lindsay won an Academy Award for their debut feature-length documentary, “Undefeated,” in 2011. Then in 2017, their documentary “LA92” won an Emmy award. They directed “TINA” with producers Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn—who also produced “LA92”—in addition to producer Diane Becker.

Photo courtesy of HBO