Iris

A Film by Albert Maysles

Community Engagement & Education

DISCUSSION GUIDE

www.pbs.org/pov

POV

|2DISCUSSION GUIDE

Iris

LETTER FROM THE FILM TEAM

As a documentarian, I happily place my fate and faith in reality. It is my caretaker, the provider of subjects, themes, experi-

ences—all endowed with the power of truth and the romance of discovery. And the closer I adhere to reality the more hon-

est and authentic my tales. After all, the knowledge of the real world is exactly what we need to better understand and

therefore possibly to love one another. It’s my way of making the world a better place.

Albert Maysles (1926-2015)

Director, Iris

When fellow producer Jennifer Ash Rudick emailed Maysles Films to say she thought that fashion and design legend Iris

Apfel could make a good subject for a film, we had a vague idea of who Iris might be, but we didn’t really understand who

she was until she came to our Harlem office and sat for a short meeting that ended up lasting hours. My father was so ex-

cited to work on a film about Iris. He loved her style, her storytelling and her drive. Although I had worked with him on so

many endeavors, from restructuring Maysles Films to assisting on shoots, this was the first time that I collaborated with him

on a film—and it was the most intense project yet. It was an amazing experience. It was beautiful to watch my dad film Iris,

calmly and patiently with curiosity and persistence.

It was a long project. We filmed for more than four years, and there was a part of all of us, I think, that didn’t want it ever to

end. Albert wanted to keep filming, and Iris kept coming up with new excuses for us to show up at her home.

Toward the end of filming, producer Laura Coxson and cameraman Nelson Walker were privy to Iris discussing how she put

an outfit together. For years we had been begging to get into her personal closet! Finally she agreed to show us how she

put together different looks. This scene, which now begins our film, shows her attention to detail and the flair for style that

she puts into absolutely everything she creates, from the White House fabric to interior design to the perfect cake for the

100th birthday of her husband, Carl, in 2015.

Iris is a workaholic, passionate and curious in all aspects of her life. She’s someone who learns every day by doing what she

loves. In that way, she’s so much like Albert.

Rebekah Maysles

Producer, Iris

|3DISCUSSION GUIDE

Iris

2 Letter From the Film Team

3 Introduction

4 Potential Partners

4 Key Issues

4 Using This Guide

5 Background Information

5 Iris Apfel

6 Albert Maysles

7 General Discussion Questions

7 Discussion Prompts

9 Taking Action

10 Resources

11 How to Buy the Film

Writer

Faith Rogow, PhDInsighters Educational Consulting

Guide Producers and Background Research, POV

Eliza LichtVice President, Content Strategy and Engagement, POV

Aubrey GallegosDirector, Community Engagement and Education, POV

Alice QuinlanCoordinator, Community Engagement and Education, POV

Simone LeungCommunity Engagement and Education, POV

Design:

Rafael Jiménez

Copy Editor:

Natalie Danford

Thanks to those who reviewed this guide:

Laura CoxsonProducer, Iris

Rebekah MayslesProducer, Iris and Managing Director, Maysles Films, Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS CREDITS

Iris (90 min.) pairs the late documentarian Albert Maysles

(Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter), 87 at the time the film was

made, with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed

then 93-year-old style maven who has been an outsized

presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More

than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about cre-

ativity and how a soaring free spirit continues to inspire.

Iris reminds us that conformity is overrated. Supremely con-

fident in her own aesthetic choices, she nevertheless rejects

the notion that others should follow her lead rather than

their own hearts. Work dominates her privileged and glam-

orous life, but not in a burdensome way, because, as Iris says,

“If you’re lucky enough to do something you love, everything

else follows.” The film’s portrait of this engaging woman

proves that there’s nothing inherently old-fashioned about

old age.

INTRODUCTION

Iris is well suited for use in a variety of settings and is es-

pecially recommended for use with:

• Your local PBS station

• Groups that have discussed previous PBS and POV

films relating to fashion, biographical portraits of

creative women or aging, including Girl Model,

Ping Pong, Sweet Old Song, The Genius of Marian,

Patti Smith: Dream of Life, Beaches of Agnès and

Cutie and the Boxer.

• Groups focused on any of the issues listed in the

Key Issues section

• Middle and high school students, Girl Scout

troops, youth groups and clubs

• Senior centers and women’s clubs

• Faith-based organizations and institutions

• Cultural, art and historical organizations,

institutions and museums

• Civic, fraternal and community groups

• Academic departments and student groups at

colleges, universities and high schools

• Community organizations with a mission to

promote education and learning, such as local

libraries.

Iris is an excellent tool for outreach and will be of spe-

cial interest to people looking to explore the following

topics:

• aging

• Iris Apfel

• art

• beauty

• biography

• creativity

• culture

• design

• fashion

• gender

• individualism

• New York City

• women in business

• women’s studies

• work ethic

|4DISCUSSION GUIDE

Iris

USING THIS GUIDE

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of human connection, designed for people who

want to use Iris to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues and communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster

debates in which participants try to convince others that they are right, this document envisions conversations under-

taken in a spirit of openness in which people try to understand one another and expand their thinking by sharing view-

points and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the issues

in the film. Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that best meet your needs and interests. And

be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave the room feeling energized and

optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit www.pov.org/engage

POTENTIAL PARTNERS KEY ISSUES

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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Iris

Iris Apfel

Iris Barrel Apfel was born on August 21, 1921 in Astoria,

Queens. As a child of the Depression, she was taught by her

mother the importance of using accessories to create

dozens of outfits using a few basic articles of clothing. Even

with this in mind, Iris lusted after items she couldn’t afford,

often roaming the aisles of the original Loehmann’s in Brook-

lyn to admire the accessories for sale there. Iris’s interest in

the visual world grew as she studied art and art history at

New York University and the University of Wisconsin.

Iris met Carl Apfel in 1947 and the two married a year later.

Though Iris confesses she never had a business plan, she

quickly became a successful interior designer. For one home,

Iris wasn’t able to find the right fabric, so she drew a pattern

herself. A friend’s father, a master weaver, made the fabric

and asked the couple to go into business with him. Old

World Weavers, a legendary textile and design company,

launched in 1950. Iris and Carl travelled the world to collect

unique fabrics and furnishings for their clients’ homes. From

Morocco to Lebanon, they sourced textiles to export, while

Carl, always equipped with a camera, captured photos of Iris

doing business—sorting through piles of fabrics in a town

square, haggling with a craftsman over a price or admiring a

detail on a piece of clothing. They were quickly recognized

within the interior design industry for their original fabrics

and sharp eye, and they went on to handle numerous

restoration and design projects, including several projects in

the White House during multiple presidential administra-

tions.

After the couple sold their business in 1992, Iris’s attention

turned to fashion. By combining her findings from high-fash-

ion houses, local flea markets in New York’s Garment District

and pieces from decades of international travel, Iris estab-

lished a reputation as one of the great collectors of fashion.

Her process of creating outfits from distinct articles of cloth-

ing and layers upon layers of jewelry defied aesthetic con-

ventions in favor of an individual style.

Yet it was not until she was in her eighties that she became

widely recognized in the fashion world. In 2005, the Metro-

politan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute opened an exhi-

bition, Rara Avis: Selections From the Iris Barrel Apfel

Collection, that celebrated Iris’s collection of clothing and

accessories—and her personal aesthetic. The exhibition

brought Iris into the public eye and transformed her into, as

she puts it, a “geriatric starlet.” Since then, Iris has been

featured in a number of magazines, including Vogue,

and has appeared in fashion advertising campaigns

for brands such as Coach and Kate Spade. She even teaches

fashion courses as a visiting professor for the University of

Texas with an eye to exposing students to the lesser-known

yet hugely rewarding aspects of the fashion scene. Today,

Iris is a fashion icon, widely known for the work that, she

says, “I have quietly been doing for most of my life.”

Sources:

Brodesser-Akner, Taffy. “Iris Apfel Doesn’t Do Normcore.” The New

York Times Magazine, Apr. 9, 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/magazine/iris-apfel-doesnt-do-

normcore.html

Brody, Richard. “Iris Apfel’s Art of Style.” The New Yorker, Apr. 29, 2015.

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/iris-apfels-art-of-style

Dargis, Manohla. “Review: In ‘Iris,’ Albert Maysles Explores Iris Apfel’s

Style.” The New York Times, Apr. 28, 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/29/movies/review-in-iris-albert-

maysles-explores-iris-apfels-style.html

Heller, Nathan. “Style Icon Iris Apfel on Her Starring Role in a New

Documentary.” Vogue, Apr. 28, 2015.

http://www.vogue.com/13256850/iris-apfel-documentary-albert-

maysles/

La Ferla, Ruth. “At 90, Fashion’s Latest Pop Star.” The New York Times,

Aug. 23, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/fashion/iris-apfel-

90-stylish-and-on-hsn-up-close.html

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris

Apfel Collection.”

http://www.metmuseum.org/press/exhibitions/2005/rara-avis-

selections-from-the-iris-apfel-collection

Wilkinson, Isabel. “Iris Apfel on Individuality, Her New Movie, and Being

Famous.” New York: The Cut, Apr. 15, 2015.

http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/04/iris-apfel-on-individuality-fame-

and-more.html

Wilkinson, Isabel. “Remembering Carl Apfel: A Style Icon in His Own

Right.” T Magazine, Aug. 26, 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/26/t-magazine/carl-apfel-in-

memoriam.html

Wisconsin Alumni Association. "Iris Apfel Is Ready for Her Close-Up."

On Wisconsin, Summer 2014.

http://www.uwalumni.com/awards/daa_apfel/

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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Iris

Albert Maysles

This is an edited excerpt from Albert Maysle’s biography

available online at mayslesfilms.com.

Two of America’s foremost nonfiction filmmakers, Albert

Maysles and his brother, David (1932-1987), are recognized

as pioneers of “direct cinema,” the distinctly American ver-

sion of French “cinéma vérité.” They earned their distin-

guished reputations by making nonfiction feature films, in

which the drama of human life unfolds as is, without scripts,

sets or narration.

Born in Boston to parents who were Jewish immigrants from

Eastern Europe, Albert earned a B.A. from Syracuse Univer-

sity and an M.A. from Boston University, where he then

taught psychology for three years. He made the transition

from psychology to film in the summer of 1955, when he took

a 16mm camera to Russia to film patients at several mental

hospitals. The resulting film, Psychiatry in Russia, was Al-

bert’s first foray into filmmaking. Several years later, the

Maysles brothers took a motorcycle journey from Munich to

Moscow and along the way shot their first collaborative film,

this one about the Polish student revolution.

In 1960, Albert was co-filmmaker of Primary, a film about the

Democratic primary election campaigns of John F. Kennedy

and Hubert Humphrey. The use of handheld cameras and

synchronous sound allowed the story to tell itself. With their

fine-tuned sense of the scene-behind-the-scene, the Maysles

brothers made Meet Marlon Brando (1965) and With Love

From Truman (1966). Then they came out with the landmark

nonfiction feature film Salesman (1968), a portrait of four

door-to-door Bible salesmen from Boston. It won an award

from the National Society of Film Critics and is regarded as

a classic American documentary. In 1992, the Library of Con-

gress saluted the film for its historical, cultural and aesthetic

significance.

Albert was made a Guggenheim Fellow in 1965. Salesman

and his next two films became cult classics. Gimme Shelter

(1970) is a dazzling portrait of Mick Jagger and the Rolling

Stones on an American tour that culminated in a killing at

the notorious concert at Altamont. Grey Gardens (1976) cap-

tures on film the haunting relationship of the Beatles, a

mother and daughter living secluded in a decaying East

Hampton mansion. These films were released theatrically to

great acclaim.

In 1994, the International Documentary Association pre-

sented Albert with its Career Achievement Award. He also

received the 1997 John Grierson International Gold Medal

Award for documentary from the Society of Motion Picture

and Television Engineers, the American Society of Cine-

matographers’ 1998 Presidents Award—given for the first

time to a documentarian—the Boston Film/Video Founda-

tion’s 1998 Vision Award, the 1999 Hot Docs Lifetime

Achievement Award and numerous other awards. In 1999,

Eastman Kodak saluted Albert as one of the world’s 100

finest cinematographers.

Note: Albert Maysles died on March 5, 2015, five months after

the premiere of Iris at the New York Film Festival.

Sources:

Gates, Anita. "Albert Maysles, Pioneering Documentarian, Dies at 88."

The New York Times, March 6, 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/07/movies/albert-maysles-

pioneering-documentarian-dies-at-88.html

Maysles Films. "Biography." http://mayslesfilms.com/biography/

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

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Iris

Philosophies and Life Lessons

If you were writing an article entitled, “Iris Apfel’s Advice for

a Successful Life,” what would it say?

What did you learn about Iris from her relationship with her

husband, Carl? What did you learn about love, marriage and

happiness?

Iris recalls feeling abandoned when her own mother went to

work. When asked about not having children, she responds,

“I learned a long time ago, you can’t have everything. And I

wanted a career. And I wanted to travel… You can’t do

everything. It’s impossible. Something has to give. And

sometimes it’s you.” What would you say to women who

want children and also want fulfilling careers?

Of her curiosity and sense of humor, Iris says, “I think those

are the two great gifts that I got in my cradle. I really believe

that.” What gifts have you received and what role do they

play in your life?

What do you think of Iris’s assertion that “it’s better to be

happy than well-dressed”? Do you agree? If not, why not? If

so, how does it show up in your day-to-day wardrobe

choices?

Iris recalls an encounter with Mrs. Loehmann (of the famous

department store) as follows: “She used to fixate on me. She

really made me very uncomfortable. And one day she

called me over. And she said, ‘Young lady? I’ve been

watching you.’ She said, ‘You’re not pretty. And you’ll never

be pretty. But it doesn’t matter. You have something much

better. You have style.’” What messages do you think Iris

took away from that experience? How do you think you

would have felt hearing those words?

Fashion

What messages have you heard/do you hear about what

you are supposed to wear? What were/are the most com-

mon or influential sources of those messages? How do those

messages compare to Iris’s advice?

Iris shows the shoes she wore at her wedding and quips,

“They’re back in style. If you hang around long enough

everything comes back.” What does this truism tell you

about fashion?

Harold Koda, former curator in charge of the Costume Insti-

tute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, says, “Iris is an artist.

What she uses all of her clothing and her accessories to do

is compose a new vision.” Think about the way you define

art (or artist). Do you think the label applies to Iris Apfel?

Iris laments that the current generation doesn’t have any

sense of history. In contrast, she always saw that “everything

is interrelated, and that politics and science and economics

and fashion and all that are all in one and part of the same.

And I applied it. I know if you look at a dress, it’s affected by

Immediately after the film, you may want to give people a

few quiet moments to reflect on what they have seen or

pose a general question (examples below) and give people

some time to themselves to jot down or think about their

answers before opening the discussion:

• What did you learn from this film?

• If a friend asked you what this film was about, what

would you say?

• If you could ask Iris Apfel a single question, what

would you ask her?

• A month from now, what do you think you’ll

remember most from this film?

At the end of your discussion, to help people synthesize

what they’ve experienced and move the focus from dia-

logue to action steps, you may want to choose one of

these questions:

• What did you learn from this film that you wish

everyone knew? What would change if everyone

knew it?

• If you could require one person (or one group) to

view this film, who would it be? What would you

hope their main takeaway would be?

• Complete this sentence: I am inspired by this film (or

discussion) to __________.

GENERAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

|8DISCUSSION GUIDE

Iris

all of those things. I mean you can almost tell what was

going on at that period.” Take a look at what people in the

room are wearing. What do you think your outfits tell you

about current politics, science, economics and fashion?

What do you think Iris would say about a television show like

Fashion Police? How about “reality” shows that provide

glimpses into aspects of the fashion industry, such as Amer-

ica’s Next Top Model or Project Runway?

Fitting In

Iris encourages people to express their individualism through

their wardrobes. How do you think your community would

react to someone who dressed like Iris? What’s the general

reaction to people who dress differently from those around

them? Why do you think that’s the case?

Iris states, “I like individuality. It’s so lost these days. There’s

so much sameness. Everything is homogenized. I hate it.”

She also says, “Downtown, they think they’re stylish but they

all wear black. And it’s not really style. It’s a uniform.” Have

you ever felt pressure to dress a certain way? What circum-

stances or environments make it possible for a person to

challenge the norm and what circumstances make people

feel like they can’t take fashion risks?

Iris says she learned about accessorizing from her mother

during the Great Depression, when a single scarf or a single

dress had to be worn on multiple occasions. What do you

think her mother would say to young people today who feel

that popularity and success rely on wearing the “right” brand

of jeans or shoes?

Culture

Iris pulls elements of her outfits from “all over the place,” at

one point even showing a Chinese shaman’s jacket that she

transformed into cocktail wear. In your view, is this cross-

cultural borrowing a form of cultural co-optation (where a

dominant culture takes from another in a way that obscures

and disempowers the culture of origin)? How would you dis-

tinguish between cultural appropriation and creativity in-

spired by cultural intersections?

What did you learn from Iris about the art of haggling?

What do you think Iris means when she says, “I don't happen

to like pretty”? She also acknowledges that most of the

world doesn’t share her view. Why do you think that’s

the case?

Iris is opposed to plastic surgery to hide the signs of aging.

How is using plastic surgery to alter your image different

from choosing clothing or accessories to alter your image?

In your view, why do people (especially women) feel the

need to have plastic surgery? Would you consider having

plastic surgery? Why or why not?

Aging

What role does Iris’s age play in people’s responses to her?

What can she do because she is in her nineties that a young

woman might not get away with? What can’t she do be-

cause she is old in an industry that focuses most of its en-

ergy and resources on the young?

Toward the end of the film, Iris admits that the only things

she thinks are important enough to worry about are things

like health, because “as you get older you realize that all

these other things are just [snaps her finger to indicate gone

in a moment].” How do the things you focus on change with

age?

Iris says, “To tell you the truth, when I get up in the morning,

everything I have two of, one hurts. And that’s the way it is.

I mean when you’re older a lot of people just… give in to that.

But I mean, unless it’s something really serious… you just

have to push yourself. And then you go out and you start to

do things. You forget about yourself. Otherwise, you can just

sit there and brood all day long. I mean, you can’t not do

what you did. People say what an energy and everything I

have, but it’s nothing like what I used to have. Now I get

tired.” In what ways are your own experiences of aging (or

with aging loved ones) similar to or different from Iris and

Carl’s experiences?

Additional media literacy questions are available at:

www.pbs.org/pov/educators/media-literacy.php

Taking Action

• In an afterschool program for middle school girls, lead a discussion on the pressure to

wear (or not wear) certain types of clothes or brands. Investigate the source of those

messages. Invite everyone to talk about Iris’s unique style and imagine what they might

wear if no one was judging them. Consider posting comments on fashion blogs, social

media sites or retailers’ websites about the messages they are sending about “proper”

or “fashionable” attire.

• Celebrate the accomplishments of older women in your community.

• Host a screening for a local women-in-business group. Discuss how to encourage women

to take chances and believe in their own visions as Iris did and does.

• Put together your own museum retrospective by gathering fashions from people in your

community. Include explanations about time periods and cultures that are represented in

the exhibit.

• Iris says, “All the great handcrafted trades are going down the tubes. Some have already

gone. And then there’s nobody left to teach them. And you’ll have all kinds of machine-

made junk.” Find craftspeople working in the fields of textiles and/or fashion in your

community and help them publicize their work. Create opportunities for them to teach

their crafts to others.

|9DISCUSSION GUIDE

Iris

Interviews and Features

Architectural Digest:

“IRIS APFEL’S EXUBERANT APARTMENT”

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/iris-apfel-manhattan-apartment-article

Amanda Vail wrote a 2011 feature article on Iris Apfel’s Man-

hattan apartment.

THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE:

“STORIES THAT TELL THEMSELVES”

http://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2000-02-11/75859/

In this wide-ranging interview conducted by Anne S. Lewis

in the year 2000, Albert Maysles discusses his philosophy of

direct cinema.

COSTUME INSTITUTE OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM

OF ART: “RARA AVIS: SELECTIONS FROM THE IRIS

BARREL APFEL COLLECTION”

www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2005/iris-barrel-apfel

The website for the 2005 exhibition of Iris Apfel’s collection

contains lots of information about both the woman and her

collection. See www.metmuseum.org/press/general-infor-

mation/2011/the-costume-institute for a history of the Cos-

tume Institute and click on “Blogs” on the bottom left for

even more information.

PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM: “RARE BIRD OF FASHION:

THE IRREVERENT IRIS APFEL”

www.pem.org/exhibitions/21-rare_bird_of_fashion_the_irreverent_iris_apfel –

This page on the museum’s website describes a 2009-2010

exhibit on Iris Apfel and includes a fun, interactive “paper

doll” feature that allows users to dress a mannequin in Iris

Apfel style.

RESOURCES

|10DISCUSSION GUIDE

Iris

Original Online Content on POV To further enhance the broadcast, POV has produced an interactive website to enable viewers to explore the film in greater

depth. The Iris website—www.pbs.org/pov//iris—offers a streaming video trailer for the film; an interview with members of the

film team; a list of related websites, articles and books; a downloadable discussion guide; and special features..

What’s Your POV? Share your thoughts about Iris by posting a comment at http://www.pbs.org/pov/Iris

FILM-RELATED WEB SITES

IRIS

magpictures.com/iris

This is the film’s official website, which offers general infor-

mation about the film.

MAYSLES FILMS, INC.

mayslesfilms.com

The website for the film production company founded by

Albert and David Maysles discusses Iris, the company’s other

films and other projects.

MAYSLES DOCUMENTARY CENTER

Maysles.org

The Maysles Documentary Center is a nonprofit organization

focused on documentary films and educational program-

ming in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood.

HOW TO BUY THE FILM

To order Iris for home use, visit magpictures.com/iris.

The See it On PBS logo is a trademark of the Public Broadcasting Service and is used with permission. All rights reserved.

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Front cover: Iris Apfel. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures