"Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea" is a 3-D documentary film about the life and work of artist and marine H.C. ("Cliff") Westermann, voice-acted by four-time Academy-Award nominee Ed Harris, conceived and directed by Leslie Buchbinder, and featuring interviews with Ed Ruscha, Frank Gehry, and many others. The film is executive produced by the international art icon KAWS, and award-winning documentary producer Caryn Capotosto, whose current projects include 2023 Sundance opening film, "Little Richard: I Am Everything," & prior projects include "Won't You Be My Neighbor," "Best of Enemies," and more. "Westermann" features music by legendary artists Laurie Anderson, the Kronos Quartet, and Terry Allen, with an original score by MacArthur "Genius Grant" winner Tomeka Reid.
As a veteran of World War II and the Korean War who struggled with the ramifications of modern warfare, Westermann's dramatic personal history can be traced through his beguiling, surreal artworks. Our documentary explores the themes of Westermann's life and work, including resiliency, hope, and humor. Westermann used art as a means of processing the trauma of war, and in spite of these horrors, he adopted an empathic and hopeful spirit that courses through his artwork and relationships, becoming an inspiration to many young artists. These themes are woven into a visceral essay-film format (as opposed to a biopic or didactic art history lecture), which invites the audience to interact with Westermann's story in a visually lush and meditative way. Westermann was enamored of the creative potential of tools, and their ability to transform raw materials into objects of totemic power. For us as filmmakers, the 3-D format is the ideal tool to convey the literal and metaphorical multidimensionality of Westermann's works, which are imbued with humor, horror, absurdity, and exquisite beauty.
