QUEEN OF VERSAILLES BY LAUREN GREENFIELD
THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES
by LAUREN GREENFIELD
SYNOPSIS
The Queen of Versailles is a character-driven documentary about a billionaire family and their financial challenges in the wake of the economic crisis. With epic proportions of Shakespearean tragedy, the film follows two unique characters, whose rags-to-riches success stories reveal the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. The film begins with the family triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America, a 90,000 sq. ft. palace. Over the next two years, their sprawling empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis. Major changes in lifestyle and character ensue within the cross-cultural household of family members and domestic staff.
LAUREN GREENFIELD - DIRECTOR
Acclaimed documentary photographer/filmmaker, Lauren Greenfield is considered a preeminent chronicler of youth culture, gender and consumerism, as a result of her monographs “Girl Culture,” “Fast Forward,” “THIN” and other photographic works, which have been widely published, exhibited, and collected by leading museums around the world.
In addition to “The Queen of Versailles,” Lauren has previously directed three award-winning documentary films – “THIN,” “kids + money,” and “Beauty CULTure.” "THIN" was selected for the Official Competition at Sundance in 2006, was nominated for an Emmy for Best Direction, and received the prestigious John Grierson Award for Best Documentary at the London Film Festival in 2006. "kids + money,” also selected for the Official Shorts Program at Sundance 2008, won several Best Doc Awards (AFI, Ann Arbor, Gold Hugo), and was selected as one of the top five nonfiction shorts in the world by Cinema Eye Honors 2009. "Beauty CULTure" was the featured documentary of the record-setting exhibition at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles (Summer 2011), which received the Lucie Award for Exhibition of the Year (2011).
American Photo named Lauren one of the 25 most influential photographers working today. Her work was recently showcased in the Getty Museum’s historical exhibition, “Engaged Observers: Documentary Photography Since the Sixties” (2010).
