Doc on Van Zandt, Clarks debuts at SXSW 2020

Author, filmmaker and producer Tamara Saviano and co-producer and co-director Paul Whitfield created "Without Getting Killed or Caught."

The film features narration by Academy Award-winner Sissy Spacek (as Susanna Clark) as well as interviews with Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Jo Harvey Allen, Terry Allen and Verlon Thompson, along with archival soundbites, photos and vintage footage.

Without Getting Killed or Caught" follows the Clarks and Van Zandt on their journey from obscurity to reverence. The film makes use of Clark's songs, family photographs and archives, film footage and radio talk shows to tell its story.

Guy, the "Pancho" to Van Zandt's "Lefty," struggles to establish himself as a songwriter. Susanna pens hit songs and paints album covers for top artists. Van Zandt spirals in self-destruction after writing some of Americana music's most enduring and influential ballads.

Parts of the film are taken from Susanna's pained remembrances, culled from her private journals and secret audio diaries, as well as taped conversations that Susanna made of the trio and of the "salon" that regularly gathered around them them.

"Guy and I were friends for 18 years and spent the last eight of those years working together on his biography and then the documentary," said Saviano. "It is bittersweet that after all of that, Guy did not survive to see this documentary come to fruition. It is an honor to continue to work on his legacy. I hope the documentary will give fans new insights into the extraordinary artistic life Guy shared with his wife Susanna and best friend Townes Van Zandt.

Saviano's music productions include "Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster," honored with a 2004 GRAMMY for Best Traditional Folk Album, "The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson," "Looking Into You: A Tribute to Jackson Browne," "Red Hot: A Memphis Celebration of Sun Records," and the Grammy-nominated "This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark," which won Album of the Year at the Americana Honors & Awards in 2012.

Whitfield, Saviano's husband, has worked as video engineer-in-charge on tour with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Shania Twain, The Judds, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Josh Groban, Tim McGraw, Ringo Starr, the Dixie Chicks, Metallica , Destiny's Child, "Elvis: The Concert," and the 2007 South American tour of "High School Musical."