American Masters documentary on Merle Haggard takes Prism Award (VIDEO)

By April MacIntyre May 3, 2011, 1:10 GMT

The American Masters documentary Merle Haggard: Learning to Live with Myself, which aired on PBS, produced by Spothouse GMBH and directed by Gandulf Hennig, won the prestigious Prism Award for films and TV programs dealing with life’s adversities.

Hennig was on hand to receive the award Thursday night in Beverly Hills, which took the coveted prize in the Best Biographical Program category over other outstanding films including, American Masters "NYC Lennon" and Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking" (HBO).

“I’m very honored I had the opportunity to accept this award on behalf of everybody who worked on our film,” says Hennig. “I think it’s fair to say that living  with himself and accepting what he has accomplished has been an ongoing challenge for Merle Haggard. That struggle is something profoundly human and I wanted to explore this in my film and show a side of Merle Haggard that maybe differed from the preconceived notion many people had of him.”  

This was one of my favorite documentaries last year, and if you haven't seen it, look for a replay on PBS soon:                                   .