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Soutine: The Life and Works of Expressionist Artist Chaïm Soutine on DVD

This program features both English and French language versions. Chaim Soutine, the name is familiar, the artist's work less so. The man, born in 1893 in a shtetl in today's Belarus, is a mysterious, shadowy figure. For this film, filmmakers Valerie Firla and Murielle Levy seized the handful of clues they had - a few books, an old film, a tomb at Montparnasse cemetery - and conducted an investigation with brio. They retrace the destiny of this fascinating painter, who was so tormented he destroyed the canvases that bespoke his anguish. This documentary is more than a well-deserved tribute to a major painter from the school of Paris. The filmmakers' careful inquiry and evident fascination for the man offer US a subtle approach to the work, and an encounter with a complex person, often detestable and deeply engaging.