Elle Macpherson Shares Gratitude Over Participating in Jule Campbell Documentary

‘Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue’ explores the life and career of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s founding editor.

Elle Macpherson and Jill Campbell / Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

The end of 2024 is near, and we’re taking the opportunity to look back at all of the moments that made SI Swimsuit so special during our 60th anniversary year. In case you missed it, take a look at SI Swimsuit Wrapped, which summarizes 31 unforgettable moments that took place this year. Before we set our intentions for 2025, we’re throwing it back to the last 365 days and highlighting several special SI Swimsuit moments (in no particular order), including the release of Jill Campbell’s documentary, Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s SI Swimsuit Issue.

In October, Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival to a sold-out crowd. The film, directed by Jill Campbell, explores the life and career of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s founding editor, Jule Campbell, and how she paved her way through a male-dominated industry.

The film features interviews with models and SI Swimsuit moguls like Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks, Elle Macpherson, Paulina Porizkova, Kathy Ireland and Carol Alt. And last month, Beyond the Gaze held a screening in New York City, which was attended by Macpherson as well as SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day and fellow brand models Hunter McGrady, Camille Kostek, Roshumba Williams and Alt,

We had the chance to catch up with Macpherson the following day, who acknowledged how impressed she was with the authenticity of Jill Campbell’s work. She also shared with us how pleased she was to take part in the documentary and to connect with Jule one final time before her death in December of 2022.

“Everybody was very moved, you know, there were a lot of tears, but tears of tenderness because Jule was so authentic and she achieved so much and she was so wise and funny,” Macpherson told us following the screening. “I was fortunate because my session was filmed toward the end of her life, [during] the last six weeks of her life, which is why my piece comes at the end ... but I was so grateful that I was able to see her and participate in time.”

While Beyond the Gaze hasn’t been set for wide release yet, keep an eye on upcoming festival screenings here. The documentary was certainly a highlight of 2024, and we’re so excited for a wider audience to take it in in the coming year.

That’s officially a wrap! In case you missed anything, review our complete SI Swimsuit Wrapped list for this year’s highlights. We can’t wait to see what’s in store in 2025.

Next. SI Swimsuit Wrapped. SI Swimsuit Wrapped: 31 Unforgettable Moments of 2024. light