‘Generation Wealth’ director Lauren Greenfield Explores Film’s Significance at Premiere

‘Generation Wealth,’ the newest documentary from director Lauren Greenfield, hosted its New York premiere to an enthusiastic audience this past Monday at the Museum of Modern Art.

The film, which explores America’s materialistic and image-obsessed culture, is apart of a multi-platform project by Greenfield. This has included a book and exhibitions at museums around the world.

In a Q&A that took place after the premiere screening, Greenfield spoke on the film’s deeper issues. “When we first called it ‘Generation Wealth’ it was really because this was the span of a generation and I felt like we had this huge shift in the generation. But it kind of grew into the title because so much about parenting and also about legacy and what we inherit the good and the bad.”

She continued, “In a way in the film, it’s kind of the children that are the redemption of Generation Wealth, and the possibility that people have to kind of change.”

Greenfield also later noted how current events helped shape the film’s meaning after its production.

“When Kim Kardashian went to the White House and there was a photo, it was almost like it could have been an ad for the movie.”

“The ending [of the film] got more hopeful after Trump. Because in the book, which I finished first, it’s a really dark ending, and a lot of times I’m kind of dark in the way I’m portraying things, or critical because I feel like we get the other side. But in this, I think it felt more responsibility to kind of look at, and respond to the insights of a lot of the subjects.”

Greenfield went on the explain, “There were so many insights from the ‘crashes,’ whether it was the financial crash or people’s personal crashes, that in a way were like an awakening. So I felt like there was that possibility of awakening either through crash or hitting rock bottom.”

Generation Wealth is in theaters nationwide now