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In 1969, three sisters from rural New Hampshire recorded an album titled “Philosophy of the World” that has lived on for far longer than anyone could have dreamed: Amateurish and bizarre, the siblings’ naïve charm turned
Frank Zappa and Kurt Cobain into fans, although the album was often brutally mocked.
Yet in many ways, it was a formative lo-fi, eccentric, indie-rock album that found its true audience three decades after its release. The Shaggs’ music has inspired reissues, tribute performances, a stage musical and a devoted international following.
“We Are the Shaggs,” from Submarine Deluxe, tells the story the group and is the documentary feature debut of Emmy-nominated filmmaker Ken Kwapis (“The Office,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “He’s Just Not That Into You”). It asks the musical question: Who gets to decide what’s good?
Following its premiere at the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival — read Variety‘s review of the premiere here — the film will roll into theaters, beginning in New York and Los Angeles, in late February 2027, followed by a national rollout in March. Additional cities, theaters and dates will be announced.
The doc features interviews with surviving sisters Dot and Betty Wiggin, rare archival footage and animation, and interviews with music veterans suchs as producer Joe Chiccarelli, engineer Susan Rogers and the late Andy Paley, alongside Shaggs tribute performers and the creator of a stage musical inspired by the band.
“My goal is to humanize the sisters and dignify them,” says Kwapis. “The Shaggs, whether by design or not, made music that disturbs, puzzles, and provokes, raising profound questions about how we define ‘good’ and ‘bad’ art.”
“Since first discovering The Shaggs Philosophy of the World on cassette way back in the 1990s, we’re still amazed by the world these three sisters created,” said Dan Braun, who co-founded Submarine with his twin brother Josh Braun. “The Shaggs have been inspiring artists, confounding listeners and finding new fans for more than fifty years. Ken’s film captures that singular spirit and brings us closer to the women behind that magical music. We can’t wait to bring their story to theaters.”
