Artists can often be as fascinating as their work. Whether they live public or more private lives, filmmakers have long attempted to understand the people behind some of history's most famous works of art.
But how much do we learn about the artists from watching a film or a documentary about them? Here are five films and documentaries that offered us a glimpse into the captivating lives of some of the most well-known and appreciated artists of our time, with varying degrees of artistic licence.
Rembrandt (1936)
Hungary-born British filmmaker Alexander Korda was fascinated by the private lives of some of the most interesting figures in history – real and imagined. After making films about Henry VIII, Catherine the Great and Don Juan, he directed a film on the life of Dutch master Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, better known as simply Rembrandt.
Starring Charles Laughton as Rembrandt van Rijn, the film focused on the great artist’s relationships, his painting process and how he navigated his life in 17th-century Holland. It is clear that Korda and Laughton both hold great reverence for Rembrandt throughout the film, but they don’t shy away from showing him as a complicated man who happens to be extremely talented.
Basquiat (1996)
Jean-Michel Basquiat is perhaps one of the greatest American oost-modernist artists of the 20th century. His work lives on to inspire generations long after his untimely death at the age of 27 in 1988. During his lifetime, he was a close friend of Andy Warhol and primarily worked within the New York art scene of the 1980s.
Basquiat’s life was examined in a 1996 film directed by Julian Schnabel with Jeffrey Wright playing the role of the artist. The film also boasts a star-studded cast that includes David Bowie, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Benicio del Toro and Courtney Love. Film critic Roger Ebert said of Wright’s portrayal of Basquiat: “He is dreamy, sweet and pensive. There are deep hurts and angers.”
Frida (2002)
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is now a symbol of her country’s artistic expression, but during her lifetime, she led an interesting and tumultuous life. The surrealist painter, who lived from 1907 to 1954, was portrayed on screen by Salma Hayek in a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination.
Directed by theatre director turned filmmaker Julie Taymor, the film not only shed alight on the life of the artist, but used her art to accentuate the storyline – incorporating it into dream sequences and the like. While Hayek missed out on an Oscar win, the film picked up two Academy Awards for Best Make-up and Best Original Score.
The film also focuses on Kahlo’s love life and her relationships with her husband Diego Rivera, played by Alfred Molina, as well as her romance with Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, played by Geoffrey Rush.
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
Most people will know Banksy and his work, but no one really knows who Banksy is. Is it one person? A collective of artists? Some people say they know, but the fun is in not knowing. The elusive artist has fascinated both the art world and the general public for years with his graffiti and stencil work, which has taken on a political and social stance.
In 2010, Banksy surprised the world with a documentary, which he supposedly directed. Exit Through the Gift Shop is narrated by Banksy, but it’s not so much about him, but rather about a French pop artist named Thierry Guetta, who goes by the moniker Mr Brainwash.
In the documentary, Banksy lampoons the modern art trade and its fascination with him and other street artists by exposing Guetta as nothing more than a fraud and a chancer. Was it all real? Who knows, but it’s both entertaining and informative.
Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present (2012)
Performance art is, perhaps, the most tangible form of art expression in that it only lives on in the minds of those who experience it. A portrait is seen, a piece of music is heard and a film is watched, but performance art is the artist themselves performing something that is often hard to explain or interpret unless you are there to experience it.
Marina Abramovic is one of the most famous performance artists in the world, with a career spanning from the 1970s to the present day. By 2010, Abramovic wanted to perform her most ambitious performance art piece named The Artist is Present, in which she sat at a table at the Museum of Modern Art (Moma) in New York, and anyone could sit across from her.
Abramovic did this every day for three months, sitting on that seat for hours on end, not saying a word, not reacting. Only being present. The performance was a phenomenon, and visitors stood in line for hours for a chance to experience it. The performance, its preparation and execution, are all shown in a documentary called Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present. In it, we see what Abramovic was experiencing before and after each sitting, and how she felt about some of the people she was sitting across from, giving viewers insight into the process of performance art.
A highlight is when her former partner Frank Uwe Laysiepen, better known as Ulay sat across from her. The pair had not seen each other for years and it is one of the rare times Abramovic reacted to the person in front of her.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
More coverage from the Future Forum
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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You may remember …
Robbie Keane (Atletico de Kolkata) The Irish striker is, along with his former Spurs teammate Dimitar Berbatov, the headline figure in this season’s ISL, having joined defending champions ATK. His grand entrance after arrival from Major League Soccer in the US will be delayed by three games, though, due to a knee injury.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.
Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.
Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Results
2pm: Al Sahel Contracting Company – Maiden (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: AF Mutakafel, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: El Baareq, Antonio Fresu, Rashed Bouresly
3pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Alkaraama, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
4pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Lady Snazz, Saif Al Balushi, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Hive – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
5pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – (TB) Handicap Dh64,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Available: Now
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
