Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones documentary Shine a Light was released in 2008. It is a concert film built around the band’s performances at New York City’s Beacon Theatre during the 2006 A Bigger Bang Tour, supplemented by archival material and backstage footage.
The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 7, 2008, before its wider theatrical release. It had originally been scheduled for 2007, but Paramount Classics postponed it, creating a common source of confusion about the year. The title comes from the Rolling Stones song “Shine a Light,” first released on their 1972 album Exile on Main St.
Scorsese’s film includes guest performances by Christina Aguilera, Buddy Guy, and Jack White III, alongside Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood. Robert Richardson handled the cinematography. The documentary was also notable for using digital cinematography for Scorsese’s backstage sequences.