Art on Film

Delve into the world of art through the lens of cinema once a month during our Art on Film series. Designed to offer unique learning opportunities, each film provides an in-depth exploration of artistic themes that go beyond traditional fine art. From visual masterpieces to the artistry found in poetry, this series celebrates the rich diversity of creative expression.  

Hilma af Klint was the first abstract artist. Misjudged and concealed, she rocked the art world with her work. She was a visionary and trailblazer inspired by spiritualism, modern science, and the riches of the natural world around her. Director Halina Dryschka’s dazzling, course correcting documentary describes not only the life and craft of 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.   

(2019, dir. Halina Dyrschka, 94 mins, Swedish/English/ German with subtitles) 

Ani DiFranco is an unmistakable talent who shook the ‘90s folk music scene. Her unique voice and assertive songwriting became a beacon to young women who could relate to her. In 1990, she started Righteous Babe Records to independently release her own music and prove herself as an artist. In 1-800-ON-HER-OWN, Tribeca alum Dana Flor explores the life of DiFranco today, still touring and making new music, while also balancing her family.

(2024, dir. Dan Flor, 77 mins, English) 

In early 2023, filmmaker Larry Weinstein set out to make a documentary about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity is about music, war, and hope. It follows nine unique individuals including Ukrainian musicians, a deaf composer, a Polish rock star, a best-selling author, a legendary cartoonist, and Weinstein himself. The documentary highlights the legacy of Beethoven’s Ninth, the composer’s own struggles, the inspiration music can provide, and how humanity looks for hope even in the darkest times.

(2024, dir. Larry Weinstein, 85 mins, English) 

Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang is a documentary about the life and art of Chinese-born, New York-based artist Cai Guo-Qiang who is known for his signature pyrotechnic events. The film culminates with a stunning and literally explosive "painting" across the sky that seems to link humanity to some greater dimension as yet barely imagined.

(2016, dir. Kevin Mcdonald, 76 min, English & Mandrin)