For more than two decades, Stanley Nelson has been documenting key actors and moments in African-American history. With Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Nelson provides a broad but detailed account of the man who changed the shape of jazz and defined the very notion of cool. The film’s key focus is on how Davis, both in his music and his life, was fueled by a restless determination to break boundaries and live on his own terms. With rich access to archives and many of Davis’ personal and professional intimates, the film includes frequent voiceovers from its gravel-toned subject, as well as interviews with some of the leading musical talents of the 20th Century. The result is a compelling portrait of a genius whose work remains as relevant today as when it was first produced.