British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas directed and produced the documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story, an animated film that attempts to shed light on the esteemed comedian by showing pivotal, previously unseen moments in Hicks’ life — hence the animation. Conducting over 100 hours of new in-depth interviews with Bill’s close family and friends, the directors for the first time fully reveal the worlds that shaped his character and his comedy. Real locations, such as the bedroom window he snuck out of to perform with comedy partner Dwight Slade, the dark alleys of Houston where he nearly met his end, and the spellbinding theatre auditoriums where he played his most famous concerts; are all meticulously recreated in three dimensional photorealism to provide a fresh new sense of the challenges the lone comedian faced, and a real sense of what his journey was like. Though considered ‘criminally unpatriotic’ at home, Bill Hicks had legions of fans — everyone from Jay Leno and Richard Pryor to musicians like Tool and Tom Waits. He also influenced a generation of comedians, including Dennis Leary who supposedly stole half his material from Hicks. Too bad his mission ended after only 32 years on Earth. The documentary made its US premiers at SXSW in Austin  a couple weeks back, and looks to make it around the festival circuit this summer.