We choose the best films from the world of ballet, opera, stage, fine art, architecture, design, photography and more to feature on the big screen every Saturday and Sunday morning and Monday evenings at five Laemmle theaters — the Laemmle Claremont 5, Glendale, Monica Film Center, Newhall, and Town Center 5 — as part of our long-running Culture Vulture series.
August 23-25: The first documentary exploring the visionary genius of Rudolph Schindler, the architect who redefined modern living by blending innovative design with the natural world, Schindler Space Architect is narrated by Meryl Streep and features architect Frank Gehry. The film affirms the singular genius of one man and the eternal challenge every artist faces to stay true to their vision in an effort to leave a lasting impact. We’ll bring the film back in November for a regular engagement at the Monica Film Center.
Culture Vulture skips Labor Day weekend but comes back to start autumn with:
September 6-8: Lotto and Berenson: Crossed Destinies follows the intertwined journeys of Lorenzo Lotto, a forgotten Renaissance master, and Bernard Berenson, the Jewish American art critic who resurrected his legacy. Through the eyes of actor Alessandro Sperduti, the film retraces Lotto’s artistic path across Italy, uncovering the painter’s personal and professional struggles.
September 13-15, Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager, the photographer behind the bikini, Bettie Page’s rise, and the invention of the selfie, comes to life in this rediscovery of a brilliant yet overlooked artist, featuring testimonies from Bruce Weber, Dita Von Teese, and more. Also screening September 12 at the NoHo.
September 20-22: A Savage Art: The Life and Cartoons of Patrick Oliphant chronicles the life and career of the brilliant Australian-born, Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist. Oliphant’s tenure as an American cartoonist spanned five decades and ten U.S. Presidents. In 1990 The New York Times called Oliphant “the most influential editorial cartoonist now working.” The film covers the history and importance of political cartoons in global democracies, as well as the decline in the profession and in the newspaper industry. Also screening September 17 at the Royal.
September 27-29, back by popular demand: The True Story of Tamara De Lempicka & the Art of Survival is a visually stunning and sweeping feature documentary that traces the life and survival of the renowned painter through her powerful paintings – from her rise to international stardom in 1920s Paris, to her move to the United States in 1940, fleeing the rise of fascism, and her revival in the current art market.
October 4-6, Inter Alia: Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Saltburn) is Jessica in the much-anticipated next play from the team behind Prima Facie. Jessica Parks is a smart Crown Court Judge at the top of her career. Behind the robe, she is a karaoke fiend, a loving wife and a supportive parent. When an event threatens to throw her life completely off balance, can she hold her family upright? Writer Suzie Miller and director Justin Martin reunite following their global phenomenon Prima Facie, with this searing examination of modern motherhood and masculinity.
October 11-13: Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief is a feature-length documentary that focuses on the career of Bruno Lohse, a Nazi art dealer who served as Göring’s art agent in Paris and headed the ERR, the Nazis’ clearinghouse for confiscated art in France. Captured and interrogated by the Monuments Men after the war, Lohse served a brief prison sentence. Following his release, he profitably dealt in stolen art for sixty years, selling to collectors, galleries, and major museums.
October 18-20: Jago: Into the White follows Jago, known worldwide as “the new Michelangelo,” for two years from New York to Naples as he worked day and night and in complete solitude on his new sculpture: a modern version of Michelangelo’s Pietà. Jago is not only an artist who retraces the footsteps of the great Renaissance masters, he is also a young pop star with over a million followers on social media, a tireless traveler who moves to every corner of the world, a motivator for new generations of artists, and an entrepreneur.
October 25-27, Rebel with a Clause: A grammar guru takes her pop-up grammar advice stand on an epic road trip across all 50 states to show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time. One fall day, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a homemade sign that said “Grammar Table.” Right away, passersby began excitedly asking questions, telling stories, and filing complaints. What happened next is the stuff of grammar legend. Ellen and her filmmaker husband, Brandt Johnson, took the table on the road, visiting all 50 states as Brandt shot the grammar action. Also screening October 22 at the Royal.
November 1-3, Mrs. Warren’s Profession (National Theatre Live): Five-time Olivier Award-winner Imelda Staunton (The Crown) joins forces with her real-life daughter Bessie Carter (Bridgerton) for the very first time, playing mother and daughter in Bernard Shaw’s incendiary moral classic. Vivie Warren is a woman ahead of her time. Her mother, however, is a product of the old patriarchal order. Exploiting it has earned Mrs. Warren a fortune – but at what cost?