Filmworker

It’s a rare person who would give up fame and fortune to toil in obscurity for someone else’s creative vision. Yet, that’s exactly what Leon Vitali did after his acclaimed performance as Lord Bullingdon in Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. The young actor surrendered his thriving career to become Kubrick’s loyal right-hand man. For more than two decades, Leon played a crucial role behind-the-scenes helping Kubrick make and maintain his legendary body of work. Leon’s candid, often funny, sometimes shocking experiences in the company of Kubrick are woven together with rich and varied elements, including previously unseen photos, videos, letters, and memos from Leon’s private collection. Insightful, emotionally charged anecdotes from actors, family, crew members, studio execs, and other film industry professionals who worked with Kubrick and Leon add an important layer of detail and impact. Filmworker explores the bittersweet consequences of Leon’s life-changing decision, and the fierce reality of working closely with one of the most brilliant yet demanding artists in cinema history. By entering their unique world we come to understand how the mundane gives rise to the magnificent as timeless filmmaking is brought to life at its most practical and profound level.