Documentary tells “love story” behind a Van Gogh house in Florida
On board the Chief Uncas: The historic boat that sails the Susquehanna
On board the Chief Uncas: The historic boat that sails the Susquehanna
ORLANDO, Fla. – When Nancy Nemhauser painted her Mount Dora home in the style of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” in 2017, it sparked a legal battle that drew worldwide attention. A new documentary focuses on the Central Florida home and the local controversy it sparked, but also tells the story of a mother’s love for her son.
“Starry Fight: A Canvas for the World” is currently filming in Mount Dora and focuses on Nemhauser’s decision to keep the artistic painting despite the threat of fines. She initially opted for the distinctive look because her son, 31-year-old Grant “Chip” Harrison, who is autistic, had a tendency to run away. Because he loved Van Gogh’s works, the house became a beacon that showed him the way home.
“He’s interested in art, not art in general, but specifically in van Gogh,” Nemhauser said. “I want him to know where to go, and that was my original reason for painting the wall.”
In 2018, Nemhauser and her husband, Lubomir Jastrzebski, faced fines of over $10,000 for an alleged building code violation at their home, which was featured on Starry Night. Jeremy Talcott, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, fought to preserve the paint and ultimately won the case, leading to Mount Dora settling with the couple. The city paid the couple’s $15,000 in legal fees and issued a public apology, which Jastrzebski insisted on.
“When I talked to Nancy and learned that the city had told her she had to paint the wall to match the house – and she decided to paint the whole house, I knew that was my type of person,” Talcott said. “She was willing to take a bold and maybe a little crazy step to do something she believed in. It made for a great story.”
Lionel “Lee” Montells, director, producer and writer of the documentary, said he had planned to retire to his native Spain after a 40-year career in television before he stumbled upon the story.
“I heard about this story in February. I couldn’t stop reading all night. I couldn’t find a movie, documentary or book about this house. Maybe no one has yet, because the story was waiting for me,” he said. “Aside from the controversy and the legal battle, it’s the story of a mother’s love for her child. Who doesn’t love a great love story?”
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Montells said the story is so compelling because of the setting, the painting’s fame, the issue of free speech and the focus on autism, especially because other parents have found hope in witnessing Nemhauser’s fight for their son.
“Everyone can feel how important and intense a mother’s love is. Interestingly, Chip calls me ‘mama bear’ and that’s how I felt too. I didn’t want to give up,” she said. “(Montells) was the first person to contact me to make this a love story and not a controversy. I appreciated that he had that vision. It’s about what a mother would do.”
Although the house apparently had its 15 minutes of fame six years ago, it has been visited by a steady stream of curious visitors ever since.
“What started with a simple violation of regulations set off a chain of events so big it went around the world. To this day, people still come to take pictures in front of her house,” Montells said. “I have articles in Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, every language you can imagine. It went around the world.”
The director plans to visit Mount Dora several more times to complete filming before putting the documentary together later this year. Ultimately, he hopes to have the film screened at festivals and eventually end up on an online streaming platform.
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Nemhauser hopes that her story can be an inspiration for others.
“It was a very tough time for me because most of the confrontation was on me. I lost a lot of sleep and probably lived years older than I should. I believe that the win has helped other people. It has certainly brought other people here,” she said. “I’m happy that we prevailed. I want to see more compassion and awareness about autism and the difficulties that parents face.”
She doesn’t regret standing up for Chip.
“This is his home,” she said. “After I painted the house, he was even more excited about it. He’s proud to be here.”
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