Paris Was a Woman

Plot

The Left Bank of Paris is a notorious bohemian hot-spot where some of the world's greatest artists and intellectuals found a haven in which to freely express themselves. Though traditional chronicles have focused on the illustrious men who lived there, this British documentary looks at some of the women who lived there including Gertrude Stein and her lover Alice B. Toklas, publishers Sylvia Beach and Adrienne Monnier, painter Romaine Brooks, and Natalie Barney. Many of their stories are told with archival film clips coupled with modern interviews. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Review

In the time between World War I and World War II, women expatriates flocked to the Left Bank of Paris. Like Hemingway and Joyce, they were looking for artistic and sexual freedom, and formed a thriving literary community in bookshops and salons. Director Greta Schiller uses rare still photographs, film footage, interviews, and voice recordings to re-create the community of women in 1920s Paris. A centerpiece of the film, and of the community, is the story of longtime lovers Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Many of the other featured artists and writers met in their salon. Adrienne Monnier and Sylvia Beach were pivotal contributors to the area with their neighborhood bookshops and lending libraries. Beach and photographer Gisele Freund are of the few surviving community members shown in interviews. New Yorker writer Janet Flanner and novelist Djuna Barnes are also featured. Blending archival elements with modern scholarly commentary, Schiller presents a well-rounded discussion of the remarkable time period. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Cast

Juliet Stevenson - narrator; Shari Benstock; Berthe - Interviewee; Gisele Freund; Sam Steward - Interviewee; Catherine Stimpson

Credit

Bjorn Koll - Co-producer, Greta Schiller - Director, Greta Schiller - Editor, Janette Mason - Composer (Music Score), Nurith Aviv - Cinematographer, Fawn Yacker - Cinematographer, Greta Schiller - Producer, Frances Berrigan - Producer, Andrea Weiss - Producer, Ronald Bailey - Sound/Sound Designer, Andrea Weiss - Screenwriter

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