Bert Stern, Original Madman, a film directed by Shannah Laumeister, illustrates the intersection of mental illness, insanity, addiction, and art.  Stern, a commercial and celebrity photographer, is perhaps most famous for his photographs of Marilyn Monroe, taken in a photo shoot referred to as the “Last Sitting,” a mere six weeks before the actress’s death. Many consider Stern’s work to have revolutionized the field of commercial photography, in addition to creating intimate and often scandalous celebrity photos.  The film provides both an intimate and revealing image of the photographer, culled from interviews with Stern, his family, friends, and collaborators.  The director, Laumeister, is a longtime friend and previous sexual-liaison of Stern’s. Stern, referred to by Professional Photographer as a “bad boy” of photography and by the Art Director’s Club as the “prototype” … Read entire article »