The Queen of Versailles

Documentary character study of Florida billionaires Jackie and David Siegel whose rags-to-riches story was to culminate with the building of their 'Versailles' 100-room mansion (the largest and most expensive private home in the US). But the plans, along with their lavish lifestyle, are put on hold as the late-2000s economic crisis hits. Winner of Best Documentary at Sundance 2012.

The Queen of Versailles was subject to a defamation case initiated by David Siegel. Siegel claimed the promotional material for the film implied his timeshare empire had collapsed. However the case has been thrown out in January 2013, pending arbitration.

"We open on the triumphant construction of the biggest house in America, a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot mansion inspired by Versailles. Since a booming time-share business built on the real-estate bubble is financing it, the economic crisis brings progress to a halt and seals the fate of its owners. We witness the impact of this turn of fortune over the next two years in a film fraught with delusion, denial, and self-effacing humor... The end result is a portrait of a couple who dared to dream big but lose, still maintaining their unique brand of humility." (Sundance Film Festival)

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