Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Diana Vreeland - The Eye Has to Travel

I am quite sure it was our heroine Blue Booby who told me about the Diana Vreeland documentary The Eye Has to Travel.  So of course when we came across it on Saturday night, I insisted that Barry and my daughter watch it, since it had the BB Seal of Approval.

Well, I knew about Diana of course, but they did not.  And of course we all fell in love with her by the end of the documentary.

Her life was a who's who and a what's what of the 1920s through to the 1980s.

Diana and her husband, Reed





Apart from interviews with colleagues and people who's lives she touched, the film contains a remarkable voice-over of interviews with Diana herself done by George Plimpton.

You get the sense that Diana threw herself into everything, except perhaps motherhood, if one is to base one's thoughts there on the musings of her two now-elderly sons, but I got the feeling that even they could not begrudge this force of nature its true essence.

There is the most mahvelous (to quote Diana!) website devoted to her:

http://www.dianavreeland.com/ - chock-o-block with goodness and information.

There are also wonderful books to be found:

http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=diana%20vreeland&sprefix=diana+vreeland%2Caps%2C158

I think I may order a couple myself!

In the end, the documentary is the thing and so worth it to curl up with a cocktail and just immerse yourself in Diana.

There is a wonderful snippet of an interview with the filmmaker, Lisa Immordino Vreeland, her granddaughter-in-law (who actually never met Diana), here that will whet your appetite

So thank you BB - one of the best documentaries I have seen in a while and sure to have pride of place on my DVD shelf beside The September Issue!

Probably just below the picture of James Dean...

Happy Tuesday and have a safe day out there!

32 comments:

  1. I'm very interested. Off to check. I LOVE your shelves and gorgeous chair, and rugs...so inviting!

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  2. I really enjoyed it also. I've just ordered a few of her books too. One does get the distinct impression she was not the best mom. However one can't do it all. I just did a post on her and this film last week too! Great minds thinking alike and all that :-)

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    1. Well isn't that crazy - I completely forgot that - can you tell I didn't get much sleep on the weekend! Went back and looked and I think BB mentioned it and you cemented it through your wonderful post! I think it is less great minds think alike than imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!!! However, she does deserve as many posts as we can do for her!

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  3. I'd love to see this! Must try to get it to watch soon!
    Did you make any decisions on bed linen?

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    1. I have ordered some swatches! Right now we are thinking white linen and then some various other blankets in white or patterns..

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    2. That sounds like a very good choice!
      Love white linen with blankets!

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    3. Hah, see my hotel habit has spread to you, maybe.

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  4. I don't know Diana at all, and I will have to google her to know more. Thanks for sharing Wendy!
    And by the way I love your post yesterday about bed linen. I have done a purge here too and I am looking for new ones too. I will probably have a look during my holidays. Our master bedroom is all in white and blue and so are my bed linen... Many of those you proposed were really beautiful!

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    1. I find white and blue so soothing... the peacock blue I have is so divine all times of the year!

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  5. We just watched this documentary a few days ago. I had wanted to see it for a while as I missed seeing it when it played at the TIFF Theatre in Toronto last year. It took a while for me to get into but I was completely dazzled by the images she helped to produce during the 60s and 70s. They were completely revolutionary and I don't think anyone has ever matched her ingenuity and eye for glamour since then. Thanks for this post - I hope more people see this film!

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    1. Wasn't she just amazing???? I could have watched more! I am going to check out the dvd to see if there are any special features, as appletv doesn't include those..

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  6. I have to watch this! Thanks for the review Wenders.

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  7. VREELY WONDERFUL Well, I have my pick for DH's next biz trip now - and you know I will have a cocktail with. Thanks to you and BB!
    P.S. That chair was a great pick - very WMM.

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    1. Oh go read Jennifer's fab post, too - she is so much more articulate than I am! Am working on my office/brain percolating place now..

      we will all be calling each other darling and saying things like "That Ina, she looks D-VINE in those bracelets!!"

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  8. Budge over that reading nook is mine all mine.

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  9. I am so glad you enjoyed the movie. I absolutely adore all women and she was something else. I still need to see Joan Rivers documentary from a few years ago...I have heard it is very good. But, I did see "The Way Way Back" yesterday with Emily and I would highly recommend to anyone. Great summer movie!

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    1. Oh loved the Joan Rivers one - it was excellent! I will look for the Way Way back this weekend!

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    2. It is still at theaters so you may want to put on list for fall/winter.

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    3. BB - am almost done the Style Statement book - it is AMAZING!

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  10. I'm not familiar with her but she looks interesting enough. Maybe I'll pick up the biography. I need some new books and I don't read fiction but biographies can be such fun to read.

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    1. I think you would quite like her - my favourite line in the doc was "the best thing about London is Paris" - I laughed out loud at that one!

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  11. We missed this at the film festival, so it's on my list. I am hoping to get back into the habit of watching films that are not for work (I am a film scholar after all!)
    I am also on the hunt for a new comforter, we bought this beautiful Marimekko one that started tearing at the seams within a month. We should compare notes!

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    1. AB - I feel sometimes like we need to talk - our family is SUCH huge films buffs - that whole shelf in the basement is DVDs and we love it all!!! Would love your perspective on things!!!

      I will let you know once I get the fabric swatch what I think. I am really leaning, crazily, towards white linen, so long as it is buttery soft and is washable.

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    2. You could try pillow cases first to see if you like the texture?

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  12. She is stunning- both younger and older :) Classic!

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  13. I haven't seen the film, but definitely will. Did they do any examples of her monthly "Why Don't You..." column? Such as "Why don't you knot several strands of pearls at your throat?" So fun.

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    1. Yes they did! I'm thinking I need to bring that back, though mine would be: why don't you let out the waistband of those trousers so you can breathe?

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