In “The Queen of Versailles,” which first played on-Island to a sold out audience last summer, Ms. Greenfield examines two years in the lives the billionaire time-share mogul David Siegel, his wife Jacqueline, and their eight children.
The viewer watches as the Siegels build their dream house in Florida, modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France. Ms. Siegel’s natural and unpretentious way of interacting with the camera turn her into an appealing character, despite the appalling excesses of the Siegel lifestyle.
Once the real estate bubble pops and the future of the Siegel mega-mansion turns bleak, “The Queen of Versailles” comments forcefully on the pressures in American culture that lead to compulsive materialism and demonstrates Ms. Greenfield’s skill at wielding a camera to expose modern mores. Diana Barrett, a seasonal Islander, co-produced the film.
