A personal portrait that brings alive a turbulent century, a grand romance, and a passionate search for artistic independence.  From struggles in Paris and New York, the Depression-era suicide of his father, a growing commitment to social justice, McCarthy-era repression (Edward's brother, director Herbert Biberman, went to prison as one of The Hollywood Ten), to his groundbreaking discovery of Southern California’s haunting urban beauty, Brush With Life traces both Edward Biberman’s inspiring efforts to create a loving family life and a body of work that still dazzles. Along the way are encounters with Paul Robeson, Lena Horne, Joan Crawford, Frida Kahlo, Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Calder, Georgia O’Keeffe, Diego Rivera, Dashiell Hammett, Martha Graham, Gale Sondergaard, and Edward Weston.