Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground (2018)

In 1963, New York City bore witness to the explosive arrival of an unheralded creative force. An 18-year-old girl named Barbara Rubin shattered artistic norms with her audacious experimental film, 'Christmas on Earth.' This twenty-nine-minute spectacle of avant-garde cinema, filled with provocative orgy scenes, overlapping imagery and dual projections, sent shockwaves through the city's underground film circuit, heralding a new and potent voice in the cinematic world. Rubin was the embodiment of the audacious spirit of the 60s, a virtual Zelig, who connected Andy Warhol to the Velvet Underground and introduced Bob Dylan to Kabbalah. She held the influential poet, Allen Ginsberg, spellbound with her irresistible charm. Rubin's radical creativity, which fueled her passion for filmmaking in an era when women were largely sidelined, also propelled her into the patriarchal realm of Orthodox Judaism, a journey she undertook before her enigmatic demise at the age of thirty-five. Jonas Mekas, Rubin's lifelong friend, preserved her legacy through her letters, offering a rich archive for filmmaker Chuck Smith to delve into. Smith meticulously shapes this treasure trove into a compelling portrait of an artist whose name has been unfairly relegated to the footnotes of history. 'Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground' resurrects the legacy of this trailblazing rebel, restoring her rightful position in the annals of film history, as a pioneer who dared to challenge and redefine the conventions of her time.

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground is a documentary movie directed by Chuck Smith.

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Cineverse, Tubi TV and VUDU Free and it's also available on Fandor Amazon Channel and Night Flight Plus.

It is also possible to buy Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground on Apple TV and Vudu.