That Summer

Albert and David Maysles’ iconic film, GREY GARDENS, captured the dilapidated home of Edith and Little Edie Beale, who were related to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and lived in shockingly poor conditions. However, the story has deeper roots: it was Lee Radziwill and Peter Beard who initially introduced the Maysles to the Beales while working on a project about Radziwill’s childhood. The footage from this initial encounter remained unseen for 45 years. This documentary unveils that forgotten material. Through Beard’s memories and artistic perspective, we revisit the summer of 1972, a captivating dreamscape filled with a collage of uniquely creative figures—Warhol, Bacon, Jagger, Capote—who embraced the art of living despite the stifling pressures of societal expectations and biases.