Last night, producer, writer, and victim’s rights activist Dominick Dunne joined myself and co-director Kirsty de Garis at the Borders Bookstore in Columbus Circle to discuss the newly-released documentary, DOMINICK DUNNE: AFTER THE PARTY. The evening started with a sneak peek of the film, now available online, for rent at Netflix, and in Borders and other retailers across the country.

The packed house applauded the short but candid scene, in which Dominick discussed the death of three of his children — two just after birth, and one at the hands of a murderer during her 22nd year. I started the conversation a Q&A with Dominick and Kirsty that then went on for a solid hour, with no holds barred and no questions left unanswered. As in the film, Dominick is utterly candid in his recounting of the most amazing, unending string of stories. Telling tales that spanned from the battlefields of World War II to the early days of television and the golden age of Hollywood, through personal tragedies and his rebirth as a celebrity and crime writer, Dominick had the crowd on the edge of their seats.

More amazing than the list of personal relationships with some of the biggest stars in cinema is the unending energy of the man himself. Dominick is currently battling cancer, but continues to edit a new novel while periodically enduring chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. And after the long conversation, he still stayed until everyone who wanted an autograph had received one. Though the film is subtitled AFTER THE PARTY, the party seems to be rolling right along for Dominick!

Special thanks to the courteous and hard-working staff at Borders, who had previously hosted an event for us with Naomi Wolf in support of THE END OF AMERICA , and to Kirsty de Garis, who traveled from Colorado to be there for the fans. And stay tuned to the blog for updates about more events in support of the film, and a possible release of some never-before-seen scenes!