BOTERO
2018, Don Millar, Documentary
LENGTH: 84 min
COUNTRY: Canada
YEAR: 2018
GENRE: Documentary
LANGUAGE: English
FORMATS: DCP, Blu-ray & DVD
DIRECTOR: Don Millar
CAST: Fernando Botero
CREW: SCREENWRITER: Don Millar, Hart Snider; CINEMATAGRAPHER: Johan Legraie, Joe Tucker; EDITOR: Hart Snider; MUSIC: David Bertok; PRODUCER: Joe Tucker, Eric Hogan, Don Millar
Fernando Botero is one of the world’s most popular living artists, with millions of fans transcending cultures across the globe. While his art is instantly recognizable, the story of how he became “the Maestro” is largely unknown. BOTERO changes that. This beautifully filmed documentary offers an inspiring look at the power of relentless vision, unwavering conviction and a lifetime of discipline. We follow an unknown, self-taught painter from provincial Medellin in 1932, as he propels himself to the pinnacle of the art world. The film brings together the man and his art to capture Botero’s essence–the quiet resolve and strength of character that allowed him to overcome poverty, decades of harsh criticism and the tragic death of his four-year-old son. Never-before-seen moments come to life as his children uncover 50 year-old sketches in a shuttered storage facility, as our cameras go behind the scenes at as how exhibiting his work alongside Pablo Picasso’s, and as the artist takes us on a private tour of his studio. BOTERO weaves together original footage shot in 10 cities across China, Europe, New York and Colombia, with decades of family photos and archival video. Unprecedented access to the artist and his family is combined with a colorful cast of historians, curators and academics to reveal the creativity and convictions at the heart of Fernando Botero. In his sunlit studio, Botero explains that despite the fame, the accolades, and the financial success, he is still learning and discovering, because “my life is to paint.”
Start Date | Venue | City | State |
---|---|---|---|
7/3/20 | After Hours Film Society | Wheaton | IL |
6/5/20 | Hiway Theater | Jenkintown | PA |
6/5/20 | County Theater | Doylestown | PA |
6/5/20 | Princeton Garden Theater | Princeton | PA |
6/5/20 | Ambler Theater | Ambler | PA |
5/29/20 | Laemmle Theaters | Los Angeles | CA |
5/29/20 | Movies of Lake Worth | Lake Worth | FL |
5/29/20 | Movies of Del Ray | Del Ray | FL |
5/29/20 | Civic Theater of Allentown | Allentown | PA |
5/29/20 | Zoetropolis | Lancaster | PA |
5/15/20 | New Orleans Film Society | New Orleans | LA |
5/15/20 | Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema | Tahoe City | CA |
5/8/20 | The Miniplex @ Richard’s Goat Tavern | Arcata | CA |
5/8/20 – 5/31/20 | The Park Theater | Jaffrey | NH |
5/8/20 | CinéSPEAK | Philadelphia | PA |
5/8/20 | Midtown Cinema | Harrisburg | PA |
5/1/20 – 5/22/20 | The Corazon | St. Augustine | FL |
5/1/20 – 5/14/20 | Latchis Theatre | Brattleboro | VT |
5/1/20 | MSP Film Society | Minneapolis | MN |
5/1/20 | Amherst Cinema | Amherst | MA |
5/1/20 | International Film Series | Boulder | CO |
5/1/20 | Film Society of Summit | Summit | NJ |
5/1/20 | Great Neck Cinema | Great Neck | NY |
5/1/20 | Oxford Film Festival | Oxford | MS |
5/1/20 | Triplex Cinema | Great Barrington | MA |
5/1/20 | Lumiere Cinema | Los Angeles | CA |
4/24/20 | The Movie House | Millerville | NY |
4/24/20 | Liberty Theatre | Camas | WA |
4/24/20 | Rodeo Cinema | Oklahoma City | OK |
4/17/20 | North Park Theater | Buffalo | NY |
4/17/20 | Sedona Int’l Film Fest/Mary Fisher Theater | Sedona | AZ |
4/17/20 | Downing Film Center | Newburgh | NY |
4/17/20 | Tull Family Theater | Sewickly | PA |
4/17/20 | Strand Theatre | Delaware | OH |
4/15/20 | Berkshire Museum | Pittsfield | MA |
4/10/20 | Dedham Community Theater | Dedham | MA |
4/10/20 | Cape Ann Community Cinema | Rockport | MA |
4/10/20 | Lark Theater | Larkspur | CA |
4/10/20 | Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center | Lincoln | NE |
4/10/20 | Palm Springs Cultural Center | Palm Springs | CA |
4/10/20 | Cinema Arts Theater | Fairfax | VA |
4/10/20 | Wilmette Theater | Wilmette | IL |
4/10/20 | Charlotte Film Society | Charlotte | NC |
Date | Venue | City | State |
---|---|---|---|
3/1/20 & 3/3/20 | Lark Theater | Larkspur | CA |
2/25/20 & 2/27/20 | Sedona International Film Festival | Sedona | AZ |
2/21/20 – 2/27/20 | Wilmette Theater | Wilmette | IL |
2/14/20 | Roxie Theater | San Francisco | CA |
2/11/20 | Proctor’s Theater | Schenectady | NY |
2/7/20 – 2/13/20 | Parkway Theater and Film Lounge | McKees Rocks | PA |
1/31/20 | The Parkway Theater | Pittsburgh | PA |
1/30/20 – 2/2/20 | Northwest Film Forum | Seattle | WA |
1/25/20 & 1/29/20 | Pickford Film Center | Bellingham | WA |
1/12/20 & 1/27/20 | Tivoli Cinemas | Kansas City | MO |
1/9/20 | City Lights Cinemas | Florence | OR |
1/3/20 – 1/9/20 | Gene Siskel Film Center | Chicago | IL |
12/26/19 – 12/30/19 | Guild Cinema | Albuquerque | NM |
11/29/19 – 12/5/19 | Cinema Paradiso & Savor Cinema | Ft. Lauderdale | FL |
11/15/19 | CineCulture | Fresno | CA |
10/18/19 – 10/21/19 | Tower Theater Miami | Miami | FL |
LA Weekly
Shana Nys Dambrot
“…[Botero] brings the sense of a long and personal dinner conversation with the artist and his family…The children are a huge presence, and their close family dynamic and interwoven perspectives on the life events that have informed Botero’s work add a rich dimension that goes beyond scholarship to instead engage the audiences on a cultural and emotional level.”
Highbrow Magazine
Sandra Bertrand
“In Don Millar’s engaging and heartfelt documentary of the artist, we are not only treated to a series of international exhibitions, a rich and constantly varied pictorial archive of the artist’s family and other personages of the art world, but a deeply personal portrayal of the man himself.”
The Hollywood Reporter
Frank Scheck
“Informative and entertaining, but hardly objective.”
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Lois Alter Mark
“What comes across so strongly in this documentary is Botero’s passion for exploring, discovering and creating. His attitude is so infectious and so apparent in his work…”
Hollywood Soapbox
John Soltes
“Botero is a fascinating portrait of a great contemporary artist. The documentary fills in many blanks about the man, the work and that exaggerated style.”
Paul Parcellin
“… an enjoyable experience that presents an appealing overview of the artist’s life and works and will no doubt please his many fans.”
Picture This Post
Caryn Hoffman
“The film is comprehensive, entertaining and insightful, and it projects warmth and a vibrant love of the human spirt and life.”
Georgia Straight
Ken Eisner
“Makes a pretty good case for taking the artist more seriously. For one thing, his political art gets a necessary airing here.”
Diario La Estrella
Laura Hiros
“After seeing Botero, your eyes will see the artist’s paitings in different light.” [Full review in Spanish]
Orca Sound
Carey-Ann Pawsey
“This documentary filled in a lot of the blanks affording me the opportunity to see his work and learn about him.”
Botero Film Facebook Page
Fernando Botero Facebook Page
2016 Full Force (documentary short)
2016 Oil Slick (documentary short)
2016 Off The Clock (short)