Held over! Plays May 20 - June 26
Directed by Halina Dryschka
2019, Germany, 93 min
English, German and Swedish with subtitles
Hilma af Klint was an abstract artist before the term existed, a visionary, trailblazing figure who, inspired by spiritualism, modern science, and the riches of the natural world around her, began in 1906 to reel out a series of huge, colorful, sensual, strange works without precedent in painting. The subject of a recent smash retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, af Klint was for years an all-but-forgotten figure in art historical discourse, before her long-delayed rediscovery.
Director Halina Dryschka’s dazzling, course correcting documentary describes not only the life and craft of pioneer af Klint, but also the process of her mischaracterization and erasure by both a patriarchal narrative of artistic progress and capitalistic determination of artistic value.
Presented in partnership with Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art.
Cinematheque at Home – curated by the Cinematheque – will offer new theatrical releases every week which our audiences can pay to stream through our website (by clicking the ‘buy tickets’ button). This is not only an opportunity for our patrons to see new cinema, but is an important way that they can continue to support independent film during this pandemic.
Reviews
Four Stars. Director Halina Dyrschka makes a solid case that Swedish artist Hilma af Klint's work not only preceded the likes of Wassily Kandinsky or Piet Mondrian (or Andy Warhol for that matter) it might have influenced those artists as well.
– Randall King, THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
MOVIE OF THE WEEK. Dryschka’s fascinating documentary is an illuminating introduction to a major artist all but erased from modern art history.
– Jennifer Merin, ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS
If there’s a jaw-dropping moment in this quiet, yet driven documentary it’s when af Klint’s abstract paintings are shown side by side against similar pieces from celebrated artists like Kandinsky, Mondrian, Cy Twombly, and Paul Klee. Straight and wiggly lines, colorful circles, triangles, spirals… they all did it, but it’s clear that af Klint did it first.
– Empress Eve, GEEKSOFDOOM.COM
It's an eloquent contribution to af Klint's rediscovery, which began four decades after her 1944 death. It's also a cogent argument for why that rediscovery impels nothing less than a rewriting of art history.
– Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter
