Stanley Kubrick Narrates His Life Story in ‘Kubrick By Kubrick’ Trailer

Stanley Kubrick narrates his life story and famed career in the Kubrick By Kubrick trailer, which premieres at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.

Directed by Grégory Monro, the film features exclusive footage and interviews with Kubrick that spans over 30 years. “A work of fiction, you have to have conflict,” Kubrick says in the opening of the clip, his voice eerily issuing from a vintage tape recorder. “If there isn’t a problem in a story, it can almost by definition not be a story.”

Memorabilia and props from his films flash across the screen, including the “Born to Kill” helmet from Heavy Metal Jacket, the heart-shaped sunglasses from Lolita and Alex DeLarge’s droog mask from A Clockwork Orange.

“If Stanley trusts you, you’re alright,” actor Malcolm McDowell says. “If he doesn’t, beware.” A young Shelley Duvall is seen in a clip from a vintage interview, adding, “I had never done more than, say, 15 before takes in my life.”

The actress has spoken of her battle with Kubrick while filming the 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining, once noting that Kubrick’s harsh treatment of her “helps get the emotion up and the concentration up because it builds up anger and you get more out of yourself. He knew that and he knew he was getting more out of me by doing that. So, it was sort of like a game.”

The 2020 Tribeca Film Festival was originally slated for April 15th through the 26th in New York City but was postponed after Governor Andrew Cuomo banned events of 500 people or more in light of COVID-19. A rescheduled date has yet to be announced.

This year’s lineup includes several music documentaries, including films on Brian Wilson, Ron Wood and Third Eye Blind. The annual event was scheduled to open with a Jimmy Carter documentary, followed by a performance by Willie Nelson.