A princess crowned on YouTube

When Samantha Montgomery started posting videos on YouTube in 2012, she was just looking for a way to be seen. A nursing home attendant who lived alone in New Orleans, Montgomery recorded dozens of videos of herself singing under the name Princess Shaw. Shaw was more visible than Montgomery, but just barely.

Nearly 7,000 miles away in a kibbutz outside of Tel Aviv, a man named Ophir Kutiel noticed Shaw. Known popularly as Kutiman, he specialized in sifting through YouTube musicians and sampling their music to create highly catchy riffs. Something about Montgomery’s transparency and voice transfixed Kutiman, and he started to build on one of her songs called “Thru You.”

This serendipitous musical relationship is the subject of the documentary, “Presenting Princess Shaw,” which debuts in theaters on June 3.

Ido Haar, the film’s creator, spent much of his film following Montgomery through her daily life in New Orleans, waiting for Kutiman to release his production of her song. Haar did not inform Montgomery that she was the main focus of his film, instead telling her that he was making a movie about YouTube users.

This detail has raised some eyebrows among film critics. But in discussing the film, Montgomery brushed off the idea that Haar’s technique was misleading.

“It was a very good thing because it captured me being really genuine,” Montgomery said. “I didn’t mind it at all — who would? It was wonderful.”

In person and in the film, Montgomery radiates a cheerfulness that belies the difficulties she’s overcome in life. Born in Chicago and raised in New Orleans, Montgomery grew up in a poor family where she experienced sexual abuse. As an adult, she has struggled with depression, loneliness and dead-end relationships. During the film, Montgomery’s car breaks down, and then her tires are stolen. Later, her electricity is shut off, and Montgomery must make phone calls by candlelight.

“There were a lot of personal demons that were chasing me down, running me over constantly,” Montgomery said. “I just kept getting pulled down and pulled down.”

From an early age, singing was one of the few things that consistently kept Montgomery afloat. She would improvise songs in front of her old smartphone and sing for the residents in the assisted-care facilities she worked in, who made for an honest audience.

“I loved them because they’re just who they are, there’s no facade,” Montgomery said. “Whatever they say is what they mean.”

Unlike many other YouTube singers, Montgomery never seriously harbored ambitions of being a star (although she did audition for the show “The Voice” in Atlanta). She said, the idea of being a celebrity seemed awful.

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Montgomery said. “When you become famous, people feel like they own you. Your life is not private anymore, and people will tear you apart if you do something they don’t like.”

That said, when Kutiman released his version of “Thru You Princess” on the Internet, Haar captured Montgomery’s stunned and delighted reaction on camera. Later in the film, Montgomery called her mother in tears to inform her that the video has received more than 1 million views.

“I wish I could throw the feeling on you,” Montgomery said, trying and failing to describe the experience. “It was just beyond.”

Montgomery was quick to defend Kutiman, who has been criticized for sampling other artists’ music to create new songs. Although some might view his technique as exploitative, Montgomery said she saw it as a mutually beneficial activity.

“He takes people with the lowest number of views, so he comes and pulls you up,” Montgomery said. “You get a million views, 2 million views — nobody knew you until this person.”

Montgomery, who flew out to Israel to perform a show with Kutiman, has formed a strong professional relationship with the kibbutz-based artist. At the moment, the two are collaborating on an album together, which bodes well for Montgomery’s future career.

But for now, Montgomery said she remains a “starving artist,” a fact that some people in her life don’t seem to understand.

“People see you on the screen, they see the glamorous pictures, and they swear that you’re making like a billion dollars,” Montgomery said. “But I still have to pay rent, I still live in my same place.”

After saying this, she paused and reconsidered her statement.

“I’ll put it this way: I got over my s—, so I guess I’m a star in my heart.”

Presenting Princess Shaw (not rated) opens Friday, June 3, at Bay Area theaters.

To view a trailer, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMXGIch82ZU