Stanley Kubrick was, some say, a genius filmmaker. His movies have captivated us for decades, and the man behind the camera was just as much a mystery as some of his most famous characters. He was enigmatic, he was weird, he was brilliant, and he was well-loved by his family, especially daughter Vivian, who worked with him on several of his projects.
Vivian fell out of touch with her family in the ’90s, and although it’s not been confirmed, some believe that her move towards the Church of Scientology had something to do with it. Vivian’s stepsister, Katharina, said in an interview with The Daily Beast that the family didn’t often speak of Vivian, and when they did it was in vague terms.
“We weren’t lying, we were just being economical with the truth,” Katharina said in 2010. “Because if you say, ‘My sister has become a Scientologist,’ where do you go from that?”
Vivian was involved in a lot of aspects of Kubrick’s films; she helped with set decorations for “A Clockwork Orange”; at the age of 17, she filmed a documentary about his blood-soaked masterpiece, “The Shining”. She later composed the score for “Full Metal Jacket”, but when Kubrick asked her to do the same for “Eyes Wide Shut”, she refused. The two had a big fight, according to her mother, and Kubrick reportedly wrote a 40-page letter to his daughter asking her to mend the rift in their relationship. He died soon after, and although she attended the funeral, she came with someone from the church.
“The whole situation was so impossibly weird,” Katharina said. “We didn’t know, at first, anything about it really, so we were like, ‘Who is this person? Why won’t they talk to us?’
While it’s unclear how close Vivian may be with her family now, it’s easy to see that she adored her father and the time she spent with him on various sets. She recently posted several photos from those days on Twitter, a treat for Kubrick’s fans for sure.
The Shining: This is me in my "Making The Shining" cutting room 1979 pic.twitter.com/1ePWIp9svf
— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) March 10, 2014
"Making The Shining" Me 1980 at EMI studio's in my cutting room, using 16mm Steenbeck … my Dad took this pic.twitter.com/TV3eMy7u8e
— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) March 10, 2014
Full Metal Jacket:1986 Dad and me on location. Me with Aaton Camera & my beloved dog Fanny, the brilliant&beautiful! pic.twitter.com/GwbYJOgNPR
— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) March 10, 2014
Clockwork Orange: Me 1969 Pablo Ferrero took this: I helped cut out those Styrofoam letters on the wall : ) pic.twitter.com/z8gKd3aTHT
— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) March 10, 2014
Makes me smile: Me&Dad FMJ @ Beckton Gas Works: filthiest place on earth – 2 baths every night to get the filth off. pic.twitter.com/TtXlOYEya0
— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) March 10, 2014
In Memory of my Dad, who I loved with all my heart and soul … Dad and Me 1979 on the back veranda of Abbots Mead. pic.twitter.com/Ciu89hp1V3
— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) March 10, 2014
FMJ: 1986 Me on Crane, that's Vincent D'Onofrio in the foreground @VincentDOnofrio pic.twitter.com/qOAMOkSZgV
— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) March 11, 2014
FMJ: 1986 FYI Sunny hot 'tanning' days in UKfew & far between, hence the minimal attire of moi! A Modine Snapshot 🙂 pic.twitter.com/YkI2bk8LY8
— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) March 11, 2014
Images via Twitter