Singer-songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins, who broke into mainstream success with her 1992 hit “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover,” is a talented writer and performer whose songs are both emotional and intelligent. In this musical portrait of the artist, director Gigi Gaston combines concert footage with intimate clips of Hawkins in everyday life for a film that gets to the heart of Hawkins’s turbulent emotional world and artistic journey.

Filmmaker Gigi Gaston and musician Sophie B. Hawkins ("Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover" and the popular album Whaler) have created a mov- ing and intriguing documentary that brings us further into both Hawkins's music and life. The Cream Will Rise is not only the record of a concert tour but also an exploration of the story behind this artist's rise to fame from an unhappy childhood to her present success. Unusually honest conversations with Hawkins, her mother, and her brother con- cerning their bouts with alcoholism, anorexia, and sexual abuse reveal an ongoing healing process as Hawkins revisits the sites of some of her most painful, as well as pleasurable, childhood memories. This film beautifully weaves and connects this troubled past with Hawkins's current life of achievement and fame. Throughout, Hawkins's music creates a mood that is not easily forgotten, and the viewer gains a deep respect for her honesty.