Directed by Stefan Liberski • Drama • With Benoit Poelvoorde, Camille Cottin • 2025 • 110 minutes
"Tabula rasa and vita nova," exclaims artist Jean-Yves Machond (Benoît Poelvoorde). "A clean slate and a new life." Leaving Brussels and his job as a professor to settle in Normandy, Machond searches for inspiration, convinced he still has something to say with his art.
The small town of Étretat, with its scenic cliffs, sea views and beaches, is the ultimate embodiment of Impressionism. But ever the serious artist, the rambling Machond hesitates to call himself a simple "painter." Once moved in, he is introduced to the local artistic community, including the warm-hearted painter Bagnoule, who knows all the goings-on about town and the charming gallery owner Cécile (Camille Cottin), who disrupts his concentration with vague promises of love.
Complete with sliding houses and curious hedgehogs, Machond's new life proves anything but ordinary. THE ART OF NOTHING follows his quest for inspiration and, ultimately, happiness.
Up Next in Painters (a collection)
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Paul Gauguin
Directed by Alain Resnais • Documentary • 1949 • 13 minutes
PAUL GAUGUIN uses the artist’s own writings and artwork to trace his creative journey. The film begins with Gauguin losing his job in finance—the catalyst for his commitment to paint every day—and continues through to his final days in ...
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Hidden Heritage: The Roots of Black A...
Directed by Andrew Piddington • Documentary • With David Driskell • 1991 • 52 minutes
David Driskell, the pathbreaking art history professor and artist, is the focus of HIDDEN HERITAGE: THE ROOTS OF BLACK AMERICAN PAINTING. He made it his life mission to trace the work of Black artists from the ...
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The Hermitage Dwellers
Directed by Aliona van der Horst • Documentary • 2003 • 73 minutes
THE HERMITAGE DWELLERS is as much about the people who work in Russia's renowned museum as it is about the glorious art works housed in this St. Petersburg institution. We meet with several 'Hermitage-niks'-including Olga Bogdano...
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