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Filmworker
Tony Zierra's biographical documentary pays tribute to a key figure behind the enduring success of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, who sacrificed his own dreams of stardom to toil long hours as a production assistant for the legendary director. The film's subject is actor Leon Vitali, who became obsessed with Kubrick's work in the late 1960s and landed an audition for the role of Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon. Vitali won the part and eventually persuaded Kubrick to hire him behind the scenes to work on The Shining. The protege was instrumental in discovering child actor Danny Lloyd for the role of Jack Nicholson's on-screen son, and Vitali devoted his life to working alongside Kubrick on his varied projects. He championed R Lee Ermey for the role of the drill instructor in Full Metal Jacket and was frequently on set to remove obstacles to achieving Kubrick's distinctive vision, right up to the auteur's final film Eyes Wide Shut with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
