We’re huge fans of the Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself, but now we could be getting a movie based on the life of a critic who inspired even him. What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael is a documentary based on the life of New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael, and you can help the documentary get made by donating to a Kickstarter for the film.
Director Rob Garver has made a number of shorts and TV projects, and for the purpose of this documentary he’s gathered together an A-list assortment of directors, actors, and film critics, all of whom were either inspired or scorned her work. The list of names is long, but here’s a short list via their Kickstarter: Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell, Paul Schrader, Robert Towne, Greil Marcus, Francis Ford Coppola, David Edelstein, Molly Haskell, and Alec Baldwin.
Kael wrote for the New Yorker from the ’60s to late ’90s, and she famously sparred with the Village Voice critic Andrew Sarris on his Auteur Theory. She was polarizing to say the least, and famously only ever watched a film once.
At time of writing, What She Said is looking for $75,000 to finish production, which Garver says he expects to be completed late this year or early next year, and they still have a long way to go. Contribute to their Kickstarter here, and watch the announcement video below: