Vivian Kubrick Biography

Vivian Vanessa Kubrick (born 5 August 1960) is an American-born English filmmaker and composer, known for her work with her father, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick.

Early life

Kubrick was born in Los Angeles, California to Stanley and her mother Christiane Kubrick. She had a sister, Anya.

Career

In her late teens, Vivian directed a half-hour documentary for the BBC, The Making of "The Shining", which is included on all DVDs and many videotapes of her father's film The Shining. She shot 18 hours of footage for a similar documentary on the making of Full Metal Jacket but it remained unfinished. She did write the score to Full Metal Jacket using the pseudonym Abigail Mead. Director Kubrick had initially envisioned a score that featured Japanese drum compositions, but after hearing an original piece his daughter had recorded, he asked her to score the entire film.

Her father solicited work from her to write music for Eyes Wide Shut, but it was not completed, as Vivian left for California instead. Although Stanley Kubrick wrote her a 40-page letter in an attempt to persuade her to return to the project she chose not to do so. The film instead used music by Jocelyn Pook.

In October 2008, Vivian Kubrick appeared at a 40th anniversary screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey sponsored by the Jules Verne Society, where she appeared onstage with actor Keir Dullea, star of the film, Daniel Richter who played the chief ape in the film, and Malcolm McDowell who starred in her father's subsequent film, A Clockwork Orange (1971). She accepted the Society's Legendaire Award on behalf of her father.

Personal life

In August 2010, her family announced that since 1999 she had been involved in the Church of Scientology and has been estranged from her family since then. Her family was concerned that she did not attend the funeral of her sister, Anya Kubrick, in 2009, nor earlier meet with her when she was dying of cancer.

In 2014 she posted a series of photographs of herself and her father to Twitter.

Like her father, Vivian is an animal-lover and has rescued several stray dogs.

Filmography

• Music
  • Full Metal Jacket (1987, credited as Abigail Mead)
  • The Mao Game (1999)
  • Eyes Wide Shut (1999, score not used)
• Actress (all uncredited)
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) "Squirt", Heywood Floyd's daughter
  • Barry Lyndon (1975): Birthday party guest
  • The Shining (1980): Smoking guest on ballroom couch
  • Full Metal Jacket (1987): News camera operator at mass grave
• Director
  • Making "The Shining" (1980)