Announcements

Upcoming premiere at Mill Valley film Festival 2024

East Meets West Productions LLC proudly announces the premiere of its highly anticipated documentary, "The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival," at Mill Valley Film Festival 2024.  We feel blessed to premiere our film at the Mill Valley Film Festival, with its esteemed history and dedication to highlighting innovative and compelling stories. 

A Q&A session will follow the screening, featuring Paula Birnbaum, Anne Paddy, Nancy Couch, and Scott Niichel. They will be joined by Writer, Director, and Producer Julie Rubio; Co-Producers Svetlana Cvetko, Neva Tassan, and Blake Wellen; Editor David Scott Smith; Associate Producer Elijah Stavena; and a few special guests. In addition, great-granddaughter Marisa de Lempicka and granddaughter Victoria de Lempicka will be in the audience at both screenings. 

📅 Premiere Date: October 11, 2024 (7:00pm)
📍 Venue: Sequoia 2 Theater

📅 Premiere Date: October 13, 2024 (2:00pm)
📍 Venue: Lark Theater

Tickets will be available for purchase by CAFilm members on September 14 and for the general public on September 18! 

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.mvff.com/ 

Exclusive Post-premiere receptions

Exclusive Soirée for Ticket Holders Following October 11 MVFF Premiere!

After the October 11 screening, join us for a fabulous soirée at Seager Gray Gallery, just down the street from the Sequoia Theatre. This special gathering for ticket holders will feature a stunning Tamara de Lempicka still life painting as our guest of honor—on loan from the private collection of Rowland Weinstein of Weinstein Galleries in San Francisco. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate the film and see a rare piece of Tamara’s work in person!

Seager Gray Gallery – 108 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941

http://seagergray.com/

Left Bank Gathering Following October 13 Screening!

Following our film screening and Q&A at the Lark Theater on Sunday, October 13, we invite you to join us for an intimate gathering at Left Bank, just a short stroll from the theater. As seating is limited, please make your own reservation.

This informal, self-hosted event offers a unique opportunity to connect with our cast and crew, as well as explore the amazing books by authors Marisa de Lempicka, Victoria de Lempicka, Anne Paddy, Laura Claridge, Paula Birnbaum, and many of our Q&A panelists. Celebrate the film, enjoy their company, and discover their exquisite works on Tamara de Lempicka.

Left Bank Brasserie, 507 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur, CA 94939  

Left Bank Brasserie - French Restaurant in CA

Roxie Theater Screening In San Francisco, Ca

Get ready for an exclusive, one-day-only pre-theatrical sneak peek of "The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival" at the iconic Roxie Theater on Sunday, October 26, 2024, at 1:00 PM. Be among the first to experience this bold, inspiring film that delves into the incredible life of Tamara de Lempicka—an artist, visionary, and trailblazer whose daring and unapologetic spirit redefined art in the 20th century. Seating is limited and this special event is expected to sell out fast, so don't miss this chance to witness her story on the big screen!

🎟️ Tickets: https://roxie.com/film/the-true-story-of-tamara-de-lempicka-the-art-of-survival/ 

"The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival" Playing at the de Young Museum of San Francisco in 2025

“The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival” will screen in its entirety at San Francisco’s de Young Museum on January 11, 2025, in conjunction with the museum’s highly anticipated de Lempicka retrospective, which opens October 12, 2024. The screening is expected to draw significant attention from art and film enthusiasts alike, providing a platform for Rubio's film to reach a diverse audience.

The co-curators of the exhibition, independent scholar Gioia Mori and Furio Rinaldi, Curator-in-Charge of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, respectively lended their knowledge and expertise to the film. Rinaldi is interviewed throughout the documentary, and offers deep insights into Lempicka's artistic journey and delves into her art and training. 

Furthermore, both the documentary and Julie Rubio’s contribution to the current knowledge of Tamara de Lempicka are acknowledged in the scholarly catalog which accompanies the museum exhibition. In her documentary, Rubio shares relevant discoveries pertaining to Lempicka’s biography which have been unearthed by archivist Andrzej Słowicki and journalist Monika Krajewska (Discovery, Falkty TVN Poland). 

About "The true story of tamara de lempicka & The art of survival"

When Rubio set out to make the first feature-length documentary film about the third most valuable female modern artist in the world, she had no idea how relevant and groundbreaking it would be or how it would reshape art history. During the pandemic, Rubio sought to uncover the resting place of Tamara de Lempicka’s grandparents, Bernard and Clementina Deckler, in a Jewish cemetery. Rubio's contact in Poland, Arthur Stepinski, braved harsh -4 °C weather to capture photos of the Deckler family tomb. After several delays, access was granted, revealing the final resting place of Tamara’s grandparents. Arthur Stepinski's tireless dedication in providing documents and photos helped bring these hidden truths to light for the very first time. Clementina, who showered Tamara with love and encouragement, played a crucial role in shaping her ambitions and dreams. Rubio shared these findings with journalist Monika Krajewska, and in return, Krajewska shared Tamara's mother and father's conversion publications. 

It has long been documented that Tamara de Lempicka, originally known as Tamara Rosalia Gurwik-Górska, was born on May 16, 1898. However, a recent document revealed that this was not her true name. Tamara de Lempicka's family shared these new findings with Rubio, which included a certificate revealing her original name as Tamara Rosa Hurwitz and confirming her true birth year as 1894. This new information, regarding Lempicka's birth date and the Hurwitz family's conversion from Judaism to Calvinism, sheds light on her determination and the reasons behind her lack of transparency. Tamara lied in order to survive. These actions, including concealing her Jewish heritage and family’s history of persecution, were essential for her and her family’s survival, rather than deceitful fabrications. Contemporary research often overlooks these significant aspects of Lempicka’s life, diminishing the depth of her resilience and adaptation. 

Reevaluating Lempicka’s narrative with empathy and insight reveals a complex journey of a Jewish survivor. Her artwork, characterized by its bold, stylized Art Deco portrayal of the human form, serves as a vibrant testament to her experiences. Through her paintings, Lempicka not only captured the era’s zeitgeist but also encoded her struggles, resilience, and identity into her paintings. The film highlights that an attack on art and artists is an important - and dangerous - warning sign for other freedoms that we hold so dear. 

This deeper appreciation of Tamara de Lempicka’s experiences, artwork, and legacy highlights her remarkable survival and the profound impact of her story in understanding the resilience of all refugees, and using her pain to create something beautiful.

See article: “Tamara De Lempicka Falsified Her Date of Birth, the Mystery of Her Age Was Revealed Thanks to an Archival Document” Metropolitan Magazine - Here

See article: “Gioia Mori, the Last Mystery of Tamara de Lempicka Falls,” ANSA Magazine - Here 

For more information, see Julie Rubio - Wikipedia: Here