On August 15, an audience in the DGA’s Los Angeles Theater got a glimpse at the flaws in the American dream via director Lauren Greenfield’s documentary, The Queen of Versailles.
The Queen of Versailles depicts a "Riches to Rags" story through an intimate glimpse into the lives of billionaire couple David and Jackie Siegel. The film begins with their triumphant construction of the biggest house in America inspired by the Palace of Versailles in France. Over the next two years, they lose their grip on their sprawling empire as the real estate bubble bursts and the Siegels attempt to navigate their way through the economic crisis that sets off a chain reaction in their lifestyle.
Following the screening, Greenfield sat down with award-winning director and DGA Special Projects Documentary Series subcommittee chair Chuck Workman (Precious Images, The Source, Visionaries) for a discussion about the making of The Queen of Versailles.
Greenfield’s other films include the award-winning documentaries Thin, a 2006 Sundance selection which earned her an Emmy nomination for Best Direction; Kids + Money, which was selected as one of the Top Five Non-Fiction Shorts in the World by Cinema Eye Honors 2009; and Beauty CULTure, which was a featured documentary at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles. Her photographic work has also received critical acclaim from American Photo and her work was recently showcased in the Getty Museum's historical exhibition, "Engaged Observers: Documentary Photography since the Sixties."
Greenfield has been a DGA member since 2009.