The culture of wealth is a phenomenon distinctly documented by acclaimed photographer and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield in her new documentary, Generation Wealth. The latest of Greenfield's films on the not-so-subtleties of consumerism sheds light on beauty, gender, aging, and the commodification of appearance.
For the past 25 years, Greenfield, the creative mind behind documentaries such as The Queen of Versailles, Thin, kids+money, and the revealing Always campaign #likeagirl, has been traveling the world observing people and their lives only to realize that much of her work pointed to this singular theme. Greenfield's life's work comes together in a laser locked investigation into the conscious and subconscious behaviors that has infiltrated the American Dream, and grown into something much more incendiary and corrupt. She documents how the pursuit of happiness has become synonymous with the pursuit of excess, and money has become inextricable from morality.
Generation Wealth is an overdue cautionary tale. Most importantly, Greenfield's documentary doesn't just point a camera at the problem, but it strives to understand the human costs of capitalism, narcissism, and greed in a way that is disarmingly personal and exposing. In the exclusive clip above, we get a glimpse of a finishing school for women in China that teaches them everything from proper hat etiquette to how to cut an orange.
Generation Wealth is in theaters nationwide on July 20, 2018.