BEYOND THE GAZE delves into the groundbreaking legacy of Jule Campbell, the visionary founder of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Emerging in a male-dominated media landscape of the 1960s, Campbell transformed a struggling magazine into a global cultural phenomenon—celebrated for its striking imagery and its redefinition of female beauty. Yet her work also placed her at the center of fierce and enduring accusations of objectification, igniting debates that continue to shape conversations about feminism, power, and the female gaze.

The film offers an intimate portrait of Campbell through never-before-seen archival footage, personal reflections, and candid interviews with the models she championed. We meet Campbell at age 93 in Flemington, New Jersey, as she reflects on her life, her contradictions, and the ethical lines she worked tirelessly to navigate—protecting models within an industry not built to protect women. As she revisits her past, viewers gain insight into her pioneering spirit, her mentorship of generations of models, and her belief that beauty and agency could coexist, even within commercial constraints.

Featuring the personal stories of iconic figures including Kathy Ireland, Elle Macpherson, Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks, Rosumba Williams, Stacey Williams, and Cheryl Tiegs, Beyond the Gaze examines the broader cultural impact of Campbell’s work on fashion, feminism, and societal perceptions of women’s bodies. By questioning the continued relevance of the Swimsuit Issue in today’s reckoning around representation and consent, the film confronts the paradox at the heart of Campbell’s legacy—how one woman both challenged and was challenged by the very system she helped reshape.

The film is a nuanced tribute to a visionary who defied expectations, weathered criticism, and left an enduring cultural imprint—inviting audiences to grapple with the complicated truths behind empowerment, commerce, and the stories we tell about women.