Love, Cecil is a 2017 documentary film directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland that explores the life and legacy of Academy Award-winning costume designer, photographer, artist, and set designer Cecil Beaton. The film combines archival footage, interviews with Beaton's peers and colleagues, as well as readings of his personal diaries and letters that document his creative process and personal life.
The film covers key moments in Beaton's career, beginning with his early work as a photographer for British Vogue in the 1920s. As his career progressed, Beaton became a prolific costume designer and set designer, working on influential films like 'Gigi' (1958) and 'My Fair Lady' (1964), for which he won two Academy Awards.
Throughout the film, Love, Cecil explores Beaton's complicated personal life, including his relationships with men and women, as well as his experiments with gender and sexuality. The film touches on Beaton's experiences of homophobia and anti-Semitism, and how these experiences informed his work.
Love, Cecil illuminates Beaton's impact on the world of fashion, film, and photography, and how he helped to shape the visual language of the 20th century. The film is a tribute to Beaton's creativity and vision, as well as an exploration of the intersection between art, fame, and personal identity.
