Barbara Rubin and The Exploding New York Underground

Friday, May 24 - Thursday, June 6, 2019

Barbara Rubin’s groundbreaking CHRISTMAS ON EARTH (1963-65, 30 min.) screens with the documentary on Sat May 25 and Sun May 26 at the 7:30pm shows.

Made when she was just 18 years old, Barbara Rubin’s art-porn masterpiece Christmas On Earth (1963-65) shocked NYC’s experimental film scene and inspired NYC’s thriving underground. For the next four years her filmmaking and irrepressible energy helped shatter artistic and sexist boundaries. A mythical “Zelig” of the sixties, she introduced Andy Warhol to the Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan to the Kabbalah. But beyond shaping the spirit of the sixties, Barbara was seeking the deeper meaning of life. After retiring to a farm with Allen Ginsberg, she shocked everyone by converting to Hasidic Judaism, marrying and moving to France to live an anonymous life. Tragically, she died in 1980 after giving birth to her fifth child.  For years, Jonas Mekas treasured all of Barbara’s letters and films and cherished her memory. Working with Mekas’ footage, the film takes us inside the world and mind of Barbara Rubin; a woman who truly believed that film could change the world.

Metropolis Grand Jury Prize, DOC NYC; Official selection: International Film Festival Rotterdam

 

• Country USA
• Running Time 78 minutes
• Distributor Juno Films
• Director Chuck Smith
• Editor Chuck Smith
• Cinematographer Andy Bowley

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.