-
- Directed by Lauren Greenfield
- Starring David Siegel, Jackie Siegel
-
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 largest privately-owned 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.
Won: Directing Award, Documentary (Greenfield), 2012 Sundance Film Festival; Best Director, Documentary, RiverRun International Film Festival
Nominated: Best Feature, 2012 International Documentary Association; Grand Jury Prize, Documentary 2012 Sundance Film Festival; Best Documentary, 2012 Warsaw International Film Festival
|
By the end, the movie has pulled off a small miracle: You become absorbed in the lives of these people for who they are and not what they own.
- More on The Queen of Versailles:
- Official film Web site
- Article on the Siegels
- Wall Street Journal article on the documentary