Barbara Kopple's 2002 Documentary 'The Hamptons' Streams on Le Cinéma Club

Barbara Kopple's nearly three-hour documentary 'The Hamptons,' first aired on ABC in summer 2002, is now streaming for a limited time on Le Cinéma Club. The film captures the summer of 2001 in the Hamptons, focusing on a diverse cast of characters including farmers, fishermen, waitresses, and wealthy visitors. Kopple, a two-time Academy Award winner for documentaries on labor disputes, presents an observational, non-didactic portrait of class tensions and social dynamics. The documentary features notable figures such as Christie Brinkley, Billy Joel, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Russell Simmons, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and Lizzie Grubman, whose scandalous incident at Conscience Point Inn is captured. The film is noted for its pre-9/11 context and its depiction of a bygone era, with critics highlighting its contrast to contemporary documentaries and its nostalgic, almost quaint portrayal of wealth and glamour.