Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery (2014)

A mesmerizing, thought-provoking yet surprisingly amusing documentary on the life and times of Wolfgang Beltracchi, who tricked the international art world for nearly 40 years by forging ... See full summary »

Director:

Arne Birkenstock

Writer:

Arne Birkenstock

Stars:

Wolfgang Beltracchi, Helene Beltracchi, Henrik Hanstein

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Wolfgang Beltracchi	...	Himself
Helene Beltracchi	...	Herself
Henrik Hanstein	...	Himself
James Roundell	...	Himself
Monsieur Ommeslaghe	...	Himself (as Bernhard Van Ommeslaghe)
Madame Ommeslaghe	...	Herself
Sofia Komarova	...	Herself
Niklas Maak	...	Himself
René Allonge	...	Himself
Henry Keazor	...	Himself

Storyline

A mesmerizing, thought-provoking yet surprisingly amusing documentary on the life and times of Wolfgang Beltracchi, who tricked the international art world for nearly 40 years by forging and selling paintings of early 20th-century masters. A larger-than-life personality who was responsible for the biggest art forgery scandal of the postwar era.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Crime

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English French

Release Date:

6 March 2014 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Beltracchi - sztuka falszerstwa

Filming Locations:

Mèze, Hérault, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$168,238

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fruitmarket Kultur und Medien, Tradewind Pictures, Telepool

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Don't Be No Run Around
Written by Olaf Didolff

User Reviews

For "real"

If you wouldn't know from whom a painting is, but loved it still, would it matter if someone else made it? If it looks like a duck ... well you know the saying, but apparently in this case it's not a duck (not that back then it always was a duck either). But the man behind one of the biggest scandals in the art world (according to the press I reckon and this movie), is mesmerizing enough to keep you interested in what he has to say.

He never apologizes, quite the contrary which will make some furious and other bemused. The movie is really good, but whoever saw the (fake?) documentary "Exit through the gift shop" knows there is a "movie" out there that goes beyond what we see here. And while this one is for real, you can't shake the feeling that it couldn't have happened. Not to mention the sums that being paid for paintings ... are you kidding me? It's a documentary in a grey zone because some might actually feel sorry for the buyers and others for the "artist" ...