A docu-film entirely dedicated to van Gogh's Sunflowers is in theaters

Coming soon to theaters is the second event film in the ART ICONS series of documentaries dedicated to iconic works of art history distributed to theaters by Adler Entertainment. On January 17, 18 and 19, 2022 only, David Bickerstaff ’s documentary film dedicated to Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers will be shown in Italian cinemas. Lasting 85 minutes, the docu-film entitled Van Gogh - The Sunflowers. The Greatest Story Ever Painted aims to offer a never-before-seen view of the famous Dutch artist’s life and works through his iconic Sunflowers.

There are five paintings of sunflowers in vases kept in the cities of Amsterdam, London, Munich, Philadelphia and Tokyo. David Bickerstaff’s documentary brings this series of paintings together on the big screen in an unprecedented way. Working closely with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the docu-film is intended to be an evocative cinematic journey capable of delving into the stories behind each painting, attempting to unravel the mysteries of the sunflowers and also offering new insight into the tragic circumstances that led Van Gogh to quarrel with Paul Gauguin.

What did these flowers mean to Van Gogh and why do they resonate so strongly with today’s audiences? What was he trying to say with these works and how does one version differ from the other? And what secrets did scientists uncover when they analyzed them in detail? These are the questions the docu-film seeks to answer. Playing the famous artist will be actor Jamie de Courcey. The documentary also features insightsfrom art historians and botanists.

"There are five paintings of the Sunflowers that can be seen by the public today, but they are in five different countries,“ explains director David Bickerstaff. ”They have never been exhibited together, but the privilege of making the film was to be able to travel to places like Tokyo, Munich, London, Amsterdam, and Philadelphia and put them together on film. Seeing them in this way provides an unparalleled and surprising new understanding of the life and work of arguably the world’s most popular artist. By putting them together on the big screen, you can compare them up close and see the differences in each, examining the power of the artist’s obsessive hand and his struggle with color and composition. It was such a joy to witness how unique each version was, evidence of Van Gogh’s exuberance for experimentation."

Image: Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, detail (1888; London, National Gallery)

A docu-film entirely dedicated to van Gogh's Sunflowers is in theaters

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