Altina

Altina is an anomalously captivating documentary directed by Peter Sanders that venerates the vibrant and eccentric life of Altina Schinasi Miranda or simply Altina. Released in 2014, the movie features numerous interviews with a focus on Altina herself, her daughter Terry Sanders, and famous friends, including Camille Billops, Zoe Caldwell, and the eponymous Altina Carey, all of them breathing life into the film’s narrative and presenting an enigmatic depiction of the artist.

The film is a praiseworthy study of a woman of courage, compassion, and charisma, who dissented from many social norms, confronted gender roles, and plunged into deep-seated cultural hierarchies. Altina was born into a wealthy, Jewish immigrant family, with her father being the lucrative inventor of the cigarette rolling machine. In her affluent youth, she was exposed to many cultural and artistic influences that helped cement her passion for creativity and advocacy. Altina was a true Renaissance woman who was not solely an astounded and successful visual artist but also an industrious entrepreneur, filmmaker, designer, pop culture sculptor, and a passionate civil rights activist.

One commendable tool the film utilizes is the organic shift from one medium to another. Various forms of media like home videos, photographs, footage from her career, and the recreation of past events by Altina’s relatives are uniquely blended to illustrate her life story. The usage of swift and quick transitions through collage-like interpretations stands out particularly well in sourcing and arranging of beautifully designed footage of Altina's visual art.

Altina is best known for her creation of Harlequin Glasses, a trend in the 1930s and 1940s that became emblematic of the Hollywood Golden Age. Her invention was an avant-garde cat-eyed depiction of Venice’s Harlequin character, which became a startlingly mainstream commercial hit. This venture was not just a success financially, but it allowed Altina to get a foot in the door of the art industry and make her mark in both cinema and design.

As the film progresses, it pays tribute to Altina’s career as an artist and sculptor. Her work, known for its distressing commentary on social, racial, and gender issues, marked her as a precarious figure in the civil rights movement. Her art often drew upon her personal experiences, conflicts, and awareness of societal injustices, which transformed into influential creative works like ‘Chairity’, her renowned monumental chair sculptures.

Altina was a woman with a strong and audacious spirit, embracing experimentation on all fronts throughout her life. The film also touches upon her unconventional personal life, where Altina, a thrice-married woman, defied traditional family constructs, displaying a true embodiment of a liberated woman not afraid to venture into the unknown.

Furthermore, the narrative doesn’t shy away from acknowledging Altina's financial struggles that came with her experimental film production and her personal battles with depression and addiction. It’s a testament to her resilience in the face of adversity as an artist and as a woman.

What impacts the most in the documentary is Altina’s character. Her unyielding spirit, her refusal to conform, and her tenacity to pursue her passions against all odds truly brings forth the image of an empowered woman. Through intimate interviews with Altina and those who knew her, the documentary gives a voice to Altina's limitless courage and ambition, while also highlighting the price she paid for her boundless curiosity and creativity.

In its essence, Altina is an exploration of an illustrious artist’s life that was as varied and wonderfully chaotic as her creations. From her affluent childhood to the invention of fashionable spectacles, from a sociopolitical artist to an experimental filmmaker, from an avid life-lover to a struggling artist, Altina Schinasi Miranda, even in her fluctuating fortunes, never stopped chasing her dreams. The documentary honours this extraordinary persona as it takes viewers on a vivid journey through the 20th century, audaciously through the eyes of Altina herself.

A striking theme of the movie is Altina’s persistence and her unapologetic individuality. Her fierce determination to break free from conventional norms and her ability to transform her struggles into creative masterpieces is truly inspiring. The documentary leaves viewers with a feeling of awe for Altina’s life, work, and her ceaseless quest to challenge barriers. In short, Altina is an inspiring odyssey of art, resilience, and self-affirmation that resonates long after the credits roll.