For six years, Kanye West gave an aspiring director from Orange County unfettered access to his life, breakdowns and inner circle. The result of that can soon be seen on the big screen in the documentary In Whose Name?, which will be released by AMSI Entertainment in partnership with AMC, Regal and Cinemark on Sept. 19.
Ballesteros, who started shadowing the artist also known as Ye at 18, shot more than 3,000 hours of footage during some of West’s most tumultuous times as he struggled with mental health issues and a bipolar diagnosis, the breakdown of his marriage to Kim Kardashian, the crumbling of lucrative endorsement deals and a series of controversies over hate-filled public statements promoting antisemitic views, conspiracy theories and personal attacks on other artists and celebrities.
“I’m off my meds for five months now,” West says as the teaser opens, later adding, “I would rather be dead than be on medication.” Kardashian can be heard in a voiceover as she breaks down in tears, “Your personality was not like this a few years ago!” There are multiple shots featuring some of the couple’s children and their family life. Other scenes feature West in design meetings for his Yeezy brand, leading his faith-based Sunday Service gatherings and performing in concerts. At one point, West can be seen wearing a sweatshirt with the phrase “White Lives Matter.”
In a statement, Ballesteros said that he started filming his own life when he was just 8. “For a shy kid, the camera became both a shield and a window, a way to channel my introspection while still engaging with the world. Ye has always had someone filming him too, a lens between him and the noise. Maybe that’s why we understood each other without saying much. I was able to fade into the background, stay present, the camera always rolling, catching moments outside the public performance.”
Per the film’s official synopsis: “What began as silent observation evolved into a profound journey of artistic and personal growth. Immersedin Ye’s world of extremes, he bore witness to brilliance and breakdowns, triumphs and turmoil; but also observed the paranoia and intensity that increasingly shaped Ye’s world. In the end, Ballesteros captured not just a portrait of Ye, but a reflection of the human condition in all its contradictions.”
West lays on the sofa during a scene featured in the documentary In Whose Name?
Courtesy of In Whose Name
Explained producer Simran A. Singh: “This film presents a raw and often unsettling portrait, without commentary or conclusion, leaving viewers to interpret the events for themselves. Nico was living alongside Ye, camera in hand, not fully knowing what he was capturing or where it would lead and that’s exactly what makes the footage so powerful.”
Singh’s other producing credits include the Sundance Film Festival selection Selena y Los Dinos, set to hit Netflix later this year, Reggaeton: The Sound that Conquered the World and Selena: The Series.
Ballesteros directed, produced and edited In Whose Name? His team included editors Jack M. Russell and Justin Staple, executive producers Nick Jarjour and Amy A. Singh, co-producers Shy Ranje and Jack M. Russell and co-executive producer Justin Staple. Ballesteros, who studied at Film & Television Conservatory at the Orange County School of the Arts, previously directed music videos like “Can’t Relate” for Gunna, “M3tamorphosis” for Playboi Carti featuring Kid Cudi and West’s “Come to Life.”
Filmmaker Nico Ballesteros.
Courtesy of Subject