Interview: The Iconic Lee Grant talks about Making Documentaries, Being Blacklisted, What She Wants Every Female Filmmaker to See and Her Virtual Cinema Retrospective

Groundbreaker. Actress. Documentarian. Filmmaker. Role Model. Academy Award Winner.

If you would have told me ten years ago starting a new career in showbiz that I’d be working with some of Lee Grant’s “people” on some projects, I would have not believed it. But you never know what life brings to you.

And speaking of whatever life brings to you, whether good or bad you can take those ingredients and make lemonade out of it or you can just toss them aside and let them sour. Lee Grant is all about the lemonade. The best lemonade you can make.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet with her on several occasions. First, for a signing of her book, I Said Yes to Everything and then at the premiere party for her retrospective at Film Forum in NYC. (And by the way, her possie, including her husband Joey and pal Brenda Vaccaro are always there supporting her).

Upon first meeting her, I could not believe what a petite yet big dynamo she was. She’s poised, articulate, born with the gift of gab, clever, updated and full of spunk. She’s got a zest for life, an interest in people and an optimism hard to find these days. She’s not done “doing” yet, and she’s in her 90’s. We talked about things going on in the world now, and she talked about projects she was yet going to do. And…