Kenyan-Scottish singer Beldina Odenyo died by suicide in October 2021, two weeks after delivering what those present described as an extraordinary performance at Edinburgh's Usher Hall. She was 31.
A new documentary, "Bel", directed by Louise Lockwood, follows her older sister Leah McAleer as she attempts to complete Odenyo's final album using recordings and demos left on her hard drive, stored in a folder titled "passable demos".
Odenyo had been on the brink of major stardom at the time of her death. The Guardian's review describes the performance at Usher Hall as "instantly legendary", with Odenyo performing barefoot and cloaked in what witnesses recall as bone-shaking intensity.
The film constructs a portrait of Odenyo through her teenage video diaries, accounts from people who knew her, and the songs she composed. The Guardian review characterises her as a visionary artist haunted by trauma. McAleer's effort to finish the album is described as painful work rooted in her grief.
Director Lockwood's approach is noted as careful and sensitive. The documentary opens a year after Odenyo's death and examines both her artistry and the cost of attempting to preserve her legacy.