That Summer is a feature documentary centered on the film project artist Peter Beard initiated in 1972 with Lee Radziwill about her relatives, the Beales of Grey Gardens (who ultimately became the immortal stars of the Maysels’ Brothers’ seminal 1975 classic). Lost for decades, this extraordinary footage re-emerges in a film that focuses on Beard and his family of friends, who formed an enormously influential and vibrant creative community in Montauk, Long Island in the 1970s.
The film prominently features Peter Beard, Lee Radziwill, Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale, Edith Bouvier Beale, Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and more and includes footage directed by Beard, Jonas Mekas, Warhol and additional cinematography by Albert Maysles and Vincent Fremont.
“To me, this film is very much a love story,” said director Göran Hugo Olsson, who compiled all of this rare footage into a feature-length film. “The original footage reflects Peter Beard’s and Lee Radziwill’s relationship and the love and respect they had for their friends, including Big and Little Edie Beale. I hope it also reflects our own love and respect for the characters and the time. The people in this film were so ahead of their time. It’s only today that the mainstream is starting to catch up to their concerns, their expressiveness and even their style.”
Check out the trailer for That Summer below and click here to pre-order your copy. It’s coming to DVD in September.