Liberty: Mother of Exiles

From Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder (HBO’s Emmy-nominated Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking,) Liberty: Mother of Exiles explores the past and present of the iconic Statue of Liberty. The documentary follows legendary fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, “godmother” of the statue, in her quest to discover how sculptor Auguste Bartholdi’s dream became a reality and what the statue means to people around the world.

Liberty: Mother of Exiles casts a new light on one of America’s greatest symbols of freedom and explores its surprising history, the challenges it has faced over the years and its impact on generations. Like most Americans, Lady Liberty has an immigrant story and over the course of the film, Diane von Furstenberg, herself an immigrant, realizes how intimately connected her background is with the statue.

Liberty: Mother of Exiles begins with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new museum at the base of the Statue of Liberty and goes on to reveal its dramatic history. The film spotlights the descendants of Édouard de Laboulaye and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who also played key roles in the creation of the statue, along with almost 70 subjects whose lives have been touched by it, from street artists and factory workers to the families who lived on Liberty Island until their homes were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato are the founders of World of Wonder Productions. In addition to the Emmy-nominated Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking, their HBO and CINEMAX credits include the Emmy-nominated Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, as well as The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Monica in Black and White and Party Monster.

Liberty: Mother of Exiles is produced and directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato; executive producers, Diane Von Furstenberg, Sheila Nevins and Jason Blum. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.