The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell

Jennifer Schwartz, Ronnie Barnett, & filmmaker David Markey IN PERSON!

BILL BARTELL is not famous but those who knew him think he should be.

Bill was a musician, band manager, record label owner, police officer, rodeo bull rider, an attention-seeking recluse, and the ultimate fan-boy. He led an exceedingly compartmentalized life, keeping a tight lid on his background, his occupations, relationships and sexuality, hiding the jarring conflicts. The whole of his life was an enigma and maintaining it took a toll. Many of those who knew him during his 52 years of life were kept in the dark of his doings. No one knew – and still no one knows – the whole of his life.

Friend and/ or bandmate to Pat Smear, Sean Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Thurston Moore, KISS, Iron Maiden, Ronnie Barnett, Jeff and Steve McDonald, Drew Barrymore, Tom Of Finland, The Melvins, Shonen Knife, Quentin Tarantino and countless others. Bill was the conduit through which many relationships were established and successful careers launched.

Through extensive archival footage and interviews, Bill’s friends and collaborators compare notes on what they knew and what Bill kept hidden from them, ruminating on the causes of his secrecy. This film unravels, reveals and ultimately, deepens the mystery of who Bill was and what secrets he took with him when his life came to a sad and unexpected close.

With Allison Anders, Buzz Osborne, Dez Cadena, Fat Mike, Jeff McDonald, Jennifer Schwartz, Steven McDonald, Thurston Moore