The Secrets of Tamara de Łempicka

An Interview with Director Julie Rubio

by Geneva Anderson

Tamara de Łempicka, the Russian-born 20th century painter known for her cosmopolitan Art Deco portraits and arresting nudes, is front and center in the Bay Area with two major Bay Area venues showcasing her: the Mill Valley Film Festival and the de Young Museum.

Orinda filmmaker Julie Rubio’s years-in-the-making documentary, “The True Story of Tamara de Łempicka & The Art of Survival,” had its world premiere at the 47th MVFF with two sold out screenings and more to come. Simultaneously the de Young Museum opened “Tamara de Łempicka,” the first major museum retrospective of the artist in the U.S. It runs through February 9, 2025.  (Details at the end of the article.)

Director Julie Rubio and Tamara de Łempicka

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Memorable and Best Forgotten Thanksgivings

Compiled by Gary Meyer (updated November 21, 2024)

The Internet can be a dangerous place to find the good, the bad and the ugly. Thanksgiving as a search subject is especially rewarding.  We present a sampling, mostly from the past. We found vintage greeting cards, Hollywood stars, ads for disgusting sounding foods, awkward family photos and all around nostalgia. You won’t believe what turkeys have been put through but we hope you will laugh and be astonished.

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Doc Stories Revisits 2015’s “Janis: Little Girl Blue”

The 10th edition of the San Francisco International Film Festival’s annual documentary celebration offers eleven programs of new films plus a Documentary Filmmaking & Activism Workshop for Teens and two free panel discussions.

By Noma Faingold

(October 14, 2024)

Most people have never seen Janis Joplin live. Those who have could feel her lifeforce, her pain, her palpable need to be loved, her raw bluesy delivery and her desire to be unforgettable. She died of a heroin overdose in 1970, becoming a member of the rock and roll 27 Club, along with her contemporaries Jimi Hendrix, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan,  and Jim Morrison.

 

Maybe the next best thing in experiencing the essence of Joplin and learning about all aspects of her life is by watching the 2015 documentary, “Janis: Little Girl Blue,” directed by Amy Berg, being shown during the 10th Anniversary of SFFILM’s Doc Stories (October 17-20). The free community screening will be at 4 p.m. on October 17, at San Francisco’s Vogue Theatre, with Berg as a special guest.

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The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher

By Julie Lindow

It is rare that watching a film can provoke a similar response as reading an author’s work, but The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher does just that. One feels both starved and satisfied. Fortunately, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher’s words on screen and paper not only awaken our hunger, but teach us how to listen to our own desires, how to slow down and pay attention, be curious, sensual, in the moment, and ultimately, how to more intensely live and love. Continue reading