ALTINA

Altina is the provocative portrait of an American trendsetter whose free spirit defied convention. A woman ahead of her time, Altina Schinasi was born in 1907 in New York City; the daughter of a tobacco tycoon and decedent of Sephardic Jews, she upended the expectations that accompanied her position. Altina was a paradox: simultaneously seductive and reserved, her genteel upbringing was in sharp contrast to the bold sexuality of her art and her life.

In addition to creating whimsical works of art and sculpture, Altina invented the glamorous Harlequin or also called “cat eyed”; eyeglasses, worn by the likes of Lucille Ball and Peggy Guggenheim, and as well directed an Oscar-nominated documentary about Nazi brutality told through the drawings of German expressionist artist George Grosz. Altina’s life was anchored in the social and political issues of the time: helping Jewish refugees escape the Holocaust; providing aid and shelter to friends who were targeted by Joseph McCarthy’s Un-American Activities campaign; and being involved early on in the struggles of Martin Luther King Jr.

Directed by her grandson Peter Sanders, the film captures this unpredictable woman whose bold, uninhibited passion for life is an inspiration for all.

CRITICAL REVIEWS

“Peter Sanders's sassy documentary...”
- The New York Times

Winner Best Director and Best Film
- 2014 Toronto Jewish Film Festival

“A loving portrait of a fascinating woman. If Altina hadn't really existed, some imaginative screenwriter would have had to invent her.”
- The Hollywood Reporter

“Delightful! A quirky, eccentric documentary and you can't help but cheer her on!”
- Vanity Fair

“An absorbing look at wealth, privilege, creativity and progressive thinking...also an evocative time capsule.”
- Los Angeles Times

“Joyful... We are treated to an acquaintanceship with a woman in an almost constant search for a creative life, and that might be its most moving feature. At a time when expectations of women were rigid and limiting, Altina allowed herself to make choices that seem to have opened doors to both a seemingly fearless creativity and true love.”
- Village Voice

“This curiously intimate documentary about artist Altina Schinasi, as told through her myriad marriages, engrosses in its own fittingly slapdash way.”
- Variety

PRODUCTION:
Eight 12 Productions presents A Victoria Sanders Film Partners Production. A First Run Features Distribution. Produced by Peter Sanders, Victoria Sanders. Executive Producer: Diane Dickensheid in association with Submarine Entertainment.

CREW:
Directed and Produced by Peter Sanders; Cinematography: Bryan Sarkinen; Editors: Clark Harris and Barry Malkin; Music: David Robbins; Music supervisor: Bill Fishman and Malena Kuss; Sound Design: Patrick Donahue.

Starring:  Altina Schinasi, Terry Sanders, Tino Miranda, Charles Carey, Laurette de Moro, Lewis Yablonsky.