Documentary of a Lost Girl Sneak Peek: Finding Louise Brooks

Update: For all of those who have asked, this film is currently in post-production. Thank you for all of the love you've shown us for this clip! It's pretty amazing, considering I edited this together in college at the beginning of this adventure before we had an editor (this explains all of the sound issues, etc.-don't let your director edit things ☺️)
For more updates on the film and details about Louise, follow us on social!
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Website: www.documentaryofalostgirl.com/
Documentary of a Lost Girl, due to be completed in May 2022, is a film that seeks to uncover the life of the late Louise Brooks by examining every facet of what's been left behind; the filmmakers have visited the places she's lived, spoken with her old friends and relatives, and have visited archives around the country to discover the woman who gifted us with such a beautiful, adventurous, and rebellious story. As a woman who fought against the sexual advances of Hollywood studio executives and exposed the truth about the slavery of the studio system in her later life in her various essays, making up her bestselling semi-autobiography Lulu in Hollywood, her story is now more relevant than ever. She was a woman of the past who was ahead of her time, and she is now a voice most needed for the future. She always referred to herself as lost: "Somehow I have avoided being found" she said. Not if we can help it.

[@lloyd1947]

Looking forward to seeing this documentary. My interest in Louise Brooks is related to the fact that my family has owned the Cherryvale house that she was born in since the 1940s. I find Louise's story to be very interesting and have watched many of her movies and own her biography. I donated a few charcoal drawings I did of Louise to the Cherryvale library. My late Mother gave me, what is thought to be, the original living room light fixture from that house. All the best with your project.

[@markcantemail8018]

lloyd1947 , Bookends . Tonite after doing research at the Library I drove to look for her Apartment . She lived there in apt 307 from 1962 till her Death in 1985 . 7 North Goodman street is just north of East ave in Rochester ,N.y . I read about Cherryvale in the Library tonite . I found her grave last July .

[@rayo1883]

I hope this comes to fruition, it's a very important film told from a perspective we haven't had before. But PLEASE, tell me the background music will be lower.

[@BeanieScooter]

Agree. The music is too loud and distracting.

[@laurenneloms7953]

I was born and raised in Wichita and have never heard of her. I'm looking forward to looking into her life.

[@richard8207]

Outstanding!! I can't wait to see the whole film!!

[@loge10]

Excellent post-I was introduced to Louise in Kevin Brown Lowe's wonderful book the Parade's Gone By 50 years ago, but I didn't really truly appreciate her and feel for her life's tragedy until Barry Paris' excellent biography. The irony is that I think Louise would have hated social media (like I do). One of her primary traits, for which she paid dearly, was that she couldn't stand BS, and as this post states, she appreciated and sought truth.

[@JSB1882]

Wow! This looks so good! I think the same thing about Louise and her mother. Her mother was a very intelligent woman too and ahead of her time. When Louise was molested at nine her mother blamed her for enticing the old man. WTF?!!

[@mnilsson2704]

Music is high and irritating

[@louwannapfab2048]

I'm still dumbfounded that studio execs of the day thought her voice unfit for talkies! I love her voice, deep and resonating and strong

[@NDIRISH1992]

I can't wait to see this! I've read Paris's bio of Louise twice; she's truly fascinating. Thanks so much for doing this!

[@thomasgladysz]

Great work so far. Looking forward to the finished work!

[@courtneytorres2816]

I am so anticipating this. Thank you for making such beautiful work and digging for the truth!!!

[@Llixgrijb]

Looking forward to this. Subscribed for updates!

[@blueangel9752]

This looks amazing

[@TheJazzper1970]

Looking forward to this. Even if, as I suspect, the narration and interviews will contain more big words and arty concepts than needed. The lady really was a wonderful mass of contradictions, emotions and passions, not all of them admirable.

[@documentaryofalostgirl7604]

We're so glad that you're looking forward to seeing our film, thank you! Due to Louise's strong distaste for unnecessary elaboration and nonsensical wordy text in cinema studies pieces, we strongly avoided that vibe, so we may just surprise you!

[@TheJazzper1970]

Thank you for your reply. I didn't mean to sound too negative. There is so much more I would like to know about Louise, especially outwith her Hollywood years. I have just become a bit disillusioned with some of the writing and media output about her. Your documentary looks excellent from the small segment shown here.

[@mariogladu8061]

Hope that in the final editing we will be able to better hear Louise's niece. In that preview the music was really to loud. Looking forward for updates via your site, thanks!

[@coffeesnob7600]

In light of recent Industrial revelations, her Hollywood story is now more relevant than ever. However, I also think that her inability to form close social relationships and her "insatiable appetite" could have been due to an undiagnosed form of Bipolar disorder. Very much looking forward to see the whole film. Oh, and Barry Paris' biography of Louise is outstanding.

[@johnbauman4005]

Interesting theory about bipolar disorder! Certainly promiscuity is one behavior that can be associated with it. The poor woman was sexually molested by a neighbor as a 9 year old girl and her mother reportedly blamed her for seducing the man. No prosecution of the criminal and certainly no therapy for the victim in those days. As one would expect this profoundly affected her ability to trust others and form normal adult relationships. Out in the world, on her own and working by 17 or so, I'm thinking her issues were multifactorial. Certainly throwing bipolar disorder into the mix would exacerbate things. A truly remarkable person, warts and all.

[@leavingitblank9363]

The background "music" got a bit ear-splitting at the end.

[@eltonsutcliffe1060]

Rest in peace.

[@Louise-1927]

Looks very good to me! But...the background music is much too loud for my ears. Maybe you can soften it?

[@MarcLiron]

Hi, ANY update on when this will be released :-)

[@jackchadwick9824]

Still hope this gets made

[@helloschoales]

Where can I watch/ buy this

[@medioguiri]

Where can the full documentary be watched?

[@allancuseo7431]

OMG. that's me

[@Normabbot27]

Is it out yet

[@portcullis5622]

In 2014, Natalie Merchant wrote and recorded the song 'Lulu'; a lovely tribute to Louise Brooks.

[@daniellinehan63]

Natalie is enigmatic like Louise

[@vicalexander3179]

Don't worry about it Nosmo, it's not that important. I'm 78 years old and I'm a bit sentimental about the silent picture movie stars -- Vic Alexander

[@markandresen1]

I'm sure Sky Arts would take it if Netflix won't.

[@grahambarrett5569]

That’s terrible background music ruin this for me

[@whiteycroon]

Laura Moriarty!!

[@VicAlexanderAramaicBible]

I have nominated Louise Brooks for a lifetime achievement Oscar because she is the grandmother of Liv Alexander a SAG- AFTRA actress. My father Nimrud Alexander who created the Academy of Motion Picture Arts in 1902 brought Louise Brooks to Norway were she fell in love with a Norwegian man and married him. She had only one child, my mother-in-law Signe Ingeborg Louise (Brooks) Olsen. Please recommend Louise Brooks for a.lifetime achievement Oscar and see if you can get Louise Brooks's daughter Liv Alexander invited to the 2021 Oscars. [e-mail] www.liv.net -- Victor Isaac Alexander

[@jeffpagan7735]

Everyone said she had no children. Nobody said anything about her in being in norway. Ever. Her husband mentioned were Eddie Sutherland and Deering Davis. No others were mentioned. She would hate lies about her. She also said she hated hollywood.

[@VicAlexanderAramaicBible]

@@jeffpagan7735 I don't know why you don't think that Louise Brooks didn't want to have children. She had one daughter, she was my mother-in-law. She told me that her mother visited her and taught her how to do the Charleston -- Vic Alexander

[@vicalexander3179]

Louise Brooks is Liv Alexander's grandmother. She was a Ziegfeld Dollies Dancer. She was one of the stars of the Roaring 20s. I didn't know it at the time, but after Liv and I were married in Oslo, Norway, I stayed at my in-laws at their home in Nordberg, and one day the Charleston was playing on Norway's TV station and Liv's mother said that she knew how to do the Charleston. Well, I knew how to do it, and so we began to dance. I was really amazed, here is my mother-in-law and I doing the Charleston in her living room. My father-in-law Johan chuckled and almost laughed. Later, Liv's mother told me that her mother Louise Brooks had taught her that on the many visits that she paid her when she was growing up in the South of Norway. I'd like to find some of Louise Brooks's old movies and make an Avant Garde feature film -- Vic Alexander, son of Nimrod who financed ALL THAT JAZZ starring Roy Scheider, directed by the Norwegian choreographer Bob Fosse. The movie won Oscars for Roy Scheider and Palm d'Ors. It was Best Picture on Oscar Night. I wish I'd known that it was my father who financed it. The funny thing is that my father and I had lost track of each other due to differences in age and temperament. He was almost sixty years older than me when I was born in San Francisco. I rarely saw and preferred to make independent movies. I still make them and enjoy going to Cannes once a year to sell them.

[@documentaryofalostgirl7604]

Hi Vic- thank you for sharing. Unfortunately I have not seen any evidence of Louise having had any children and she is believed to have never reproduced, so if you have any records it would be greatly appreciated if you would share them.

[@vicalexander3179]

@@documentaryofalostgirl7604 -- I have conversed with Louise Brooks over the Internet, and I know my mother-in-law is her daughter by Mr. Olsen a platinum blond Norwegian banker is the South of Norway.

[@documentaryofalostgirl7604]

Hi Vic- Our Louise has been deceased since 1985 and had no computer experience or internet access, but I’m sure you Louise Brooks is lovely and a great dancer all the same. Thank you for watching and reaching out!

[@markcantemail8018]

Doc O a Lost Girl You said 1985 ? Is she found ? Last July 18th I was visiting graves . I had Mary Louise Brooks in my notes so I went for a Look . The Marker I found Said Louise Brooks 1906 1985 with a cross between the Dates . I Thought I had the wrong Stone because of a Conflicting date in something that I read . I Have not been to the Library to research it further . The photo of the stone is the last Photo in a video that I Just Uploaded . Video #179 A clue for Scotland Yard ............... ! I live in Rochester where she ended up because of the Eastman Museum . Is the Lost Girl Found ?

[@TrangPakbaby]

Vic Alexander looool!!

[@MorganRusler]

Absolutely fascinated with Louise Brooks but absolutely have to fight through the soundtrack through almost the entirety of this clip. Terrible

[@jeffpagan7735]

Well, I guess they ran out of money.

[@jeffpagan7735]

He's dead, I know that. Lololol

[@coffeesnob7600]

Looks like this project has died.

[@charlottesiller4227]

Nope! There’s just a pandemic happening, so, we’re a little delayed. Still busy at work on bringing this film to fruition.

[@coffeesnob7600]

@@charlottesiller4227 Thanks for the heads up. Best wishes.

[@johnbauman4005]

Well you probably should change the information section because it states anticipated completion date of May 2018, a good 2 years before "a pandemic happening." Easy to attribute the delay to the pandemic but seems more issues than that. Still would pay to see the film when and if it is completed. Good luck.

[@rhyfeddu]

@@charlottesiller4227 Very glad to hear that!! This looks extremely promising. The shots going from archive photograph to actual location gave me goosebumps. Best of luck on this project.