Before Billie Eilish made teenage alienation sound cool, Janis Ian made it hurt.
In 1964, Ian, a then 14-year-old unknown, wrote and recorded “Society’s Child,” a raw, taboo-busting song about interracial romance that rattled radio stations and turned her into a cultural lightning rod. A decade later, “At Seventeen” earned her a Grammy Award for saying aloud what millions of lonely teenagers felt but rarely admitted.
Now local filmmaker Varda Bar-Kar is bringing Ian’s story and music back into focus — one flyer at a time.
Last Monday night, just before 9:30 p.m., the longtime Santa Monica resident was strolling Montana Avenue handing out invitations to the October 10 community screening of her documentary Janis Ian: Breaking Silence at the Miles Playhouse.
“I feel responsible for the outcome of my films,” she tells The Sun. “I like to walk into a theater that actually has people in it. As an independent filmmaker, you learn that you have to put in that extra mile every time.”
Boots on the ground
For Bar-Kar, the un-Hollywood hustle is not a stunt. It is part of the job.
“Part of being in a community is literally going up to people, introducing yourself, and personally inviting them,” she says.
After completing the city’s One SaMo People’s Academy — a civic program detailing municipal operations — and applying to serve on the city’s Cultural Affairs Commission, Bar-Kar wanted to offer a direct cultural contribution back to her hometown.
The event, which includes a Q&A session, is presented free to the public. It is sponsored directly by the City of Santa Monica.
Connecting Pop Generations
While younger listeners may not recognize Ian’s name on a festival poster, her trajectory laid the exact blueprint for modern teenage prodigies like Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo. In fact, before the film began playing the festival circuit, Eilish and her mother requested an advance screener to watch together.
“They’re big fans of Janis,” Bar-Kar says. “The themes that concern Janis in her music and activism are just as relevant today as they were decades ago.”
The director also reveals a sometimes forgotten local connection: Ian lived in a beachfront condo, just south of the Pier, during a transformative period in her songwriting career.
A Cinematic Career
Bar-Kar’s directorial resume bridges major industry formats — from network television hits like Ryan Murphy‘s 9-1-1 to celebrated music documentaries such Big Voice, which profiled Santa Monica High School choir director Jeffe Huls in 2015.
She recently returned from filming in Guatemala and will next direct a short-form documentary on global eye-health programs before helming another scripted feature.
“With every project, you’re starting over,” Bar-Kar says. “It’s like jumping off a cliff. You have a vision and you believe in it, but you just don’t know how it’s going to turn out until you do it. That’s where the fun is.”
Event Details
- What: Community screening of Janis Ian: Breaking Silence followed by a live Q&A with director Varda Bar-Kar.
- When: Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
- Where: Miles Memorial Playhouse (1130 Lincoln Blvd.)
- Admission: Free
Photo: Varda Bar-Kar reviews a scene from Janis Ian: Breaking Silence (L) | Credit: Pierre Hauser; Singer Janis Ian performs in the 1970s (R) | Credit: Perter Cunningham
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