Sponsored by Hope and David Rothschild
BEYOND THE GAZE: JULE CAMPBELL’S SWIMSUIT ISSUE
FRI, 12/6, 5:00pm, 107 min
SAG HARBOR CINEMA
Director Jill Campbell, Cinematographer Gregory Gerhard, and Model Christie Brinkley in attendance for Q&A with Andrew Botsford
Director: Jill Campbell
Producers: Jill Campbell, Rob Lyons, Jonathan Gray, Sharon Cooney Shuttleworth
Editors: Jill Woodward, Jill Campbell
Cinematographers: Nelson Walker, Gregory Gerhard
In the 1960s, Jule Campbell shattered glass ceilings, transforming a struggling magazine into a media empire: the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The documentary chronicles her 32-year reign, where she championed intelligence and empowered supermodels like Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley and Elle Macpherson. Weaving together her journey with feminism's evolution, the film explores the changing gaze on beauty, from objectification to body positivity. Through stunning visuals and intimate interviews with a wise, nonagenarian Campbell, we witness a legacy that continues to inspire.
Jill Campbell, the daughter-in-law of the film’s subject Jule Campbell, is an independent documentary director, producer, and editor. She began her career in the theater before transitioning into documentary production with the 2010 Dancing Across Borders. She has written and directed three feature- length documentaries including Mr. Chibbs and Seat 20D, about the Dark Elegy sculpture garden memorial in Montauk.