Veteran Brazilian documaker Sylvio Back found a different way to approach his subject here: mystic painter Miguel Bakun, who believed himself to be a "twin soul" of Van Gogh, was mocked and humiliated for his strange behavior in his lifetime, finally hanging himself in 1963, and since then recognized as the most important painter of the state of Paraná (Southern Brazil) in the 20th century. Along with the usual interviews of family, friends, historians and art critics, he makes use of a clairvoyant medium who incorporates Bakun's spirit so as to deliver "his own" vision of his life, the reasons for his suicide and his appreciation of the after-life!
As sometimes happens in Back's documentaries, you end up with gaps in"traditional" information, such as his subject's date and place of birth and death, upbringing, education, etc, but Back is always sure to choose fascinating subjects, and Bakun surely is one. Even (or especially) if you're not familiar with Bakun's work, this film is worth the while for its agile editing and engaging interviews, although it demands a very non-prejudicial mind when it comes to the medium's "testimony". My vote: 6 out of 10.
As sometimes happens in Back's documentaries, you end up with gaps in"traditional" information, such as his subject's date and place of birth and death, upbringing, education, etc, but Back is always sure to choose fascinating subjects, and Bakun surely is one. Even (or especially) if you're not familiar with Bakun's work, this film is worth the while for its agile editing and engaging interviews, although it demands a very non-prejudicial mind when it comes to the medium's "testimony". My vote: 6 out of 10.
