One World Cinema

            “A Private Portrait” takes an up-close look at the upbringing, family, friendships, passions and successes of Renassiance Man, famed artist, and masterful, award winning filmmaker, Julian Schnabel.  Born on October 26, 1951, Julian knew that he wanted to be an artist from a very young age. His mother enrolled him in art lessons, and his optimistic views, and belief without true understanding, perception, or discrimination, has carried him throughout.  Many of his larger than life plate paintings, oil on canvas, tarp, and resin paintings, recreate life in visual terms, ‘playing with convention in unconventional ways.’

            Many of his close friends and family are interviewed throughout the film.  His ex-wives, Jacqueline Beaurang, and Olatz Lopez Garmendia, daughters, Lola and Stella, sons, Vito, Sy and Olmo, actors, Al Pacino and Williem Dafoe, singer and businessman, Bono, film director, Hector Babenco, art collector and philanthropist, Peter Brant, film producer, Jon Kilik, and art historian, John Richardson, give their own personal perspective of the artist from their own experiences.

            Step inside the worldwide galleries that host Julian’s wall sized paintings, his Northern Italian styled Palazzo Chupi in the West Village, summer home in Montauk, and dissect his humanitarian and artistic films, “Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Before Night Falls,” “Basquiat,” and “Berlin.”

            Clearly, what you take away from the documentary, is that Julian Schnabel demonstrates a deep loyalty, love, and sense of pride for his family and friends, Italy, Spain, Latin America, surfing, the water, painting, humans, pyjamas, and the arts.

             Well done.  Director:   Pappi Corsicato