Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait

Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait

A mesmerizing portrait of Julian Schnabel, one of the most eclectic, iconic New York artists, a Oscar-nominated filmmaker, a father and family man, including commentary from family, friends and fellow travellers such as Al Pacino, Willem Dafoe, Bono, Emmanuelle Seigner, Vito Schnabel.
Acclaimed director Pappi Corsicato ("Libera" - selected to the international Film Festival in Berlin and "The Seed of Discord" - selected to the Venice Film Festival) presents an undisclosed glimpse into the life of Julian Schnabel, a titan of painting and filmmaking and enfant terrible of the art .

The documentary starts with Julian Schnabel preparing his retrospective at the Peter Brant foundation in Connecticut. During the installation of the exhibition, his dear friend Lou Reed dies. This painful event makes the exalted star of the art world reflect about the life as an artist and man - his origins, the beginnings of his career, the artistic scene and life in the Eighties in New York, his desire to make films, such as the award winning "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", "Before Night Falls", "Basquiat", the personal and artistic crises and all he has done over the last 40 years. With his extroverted life style, the Venetian palace in Manhattan and larger-than-life ego, the artist who likes to appear in a silk pyjama, he stands for excess and hedonism. All this is told very visually, through exclusive footage from Julian Schnabel's personal archive, and also through the stories of Julian himself, his family and friends such as Al Pacino, Hector Babenco, Laurie Anderson, Jeff Koons, Bono?

– Press Clippings – 

“His (Corsicato) almost idyllic portrayal of Schnabel at work and play […] makes for a largely seductive and engaging experience.”
The Playlist

“"Julian Schnabel - A Private Portrait" is a very entertaining affair that actually conveys some of the art and zeitgeist of 1980s New York.”
Cinetastic

“Even if you know of his work only passingly (guilty), you'll come away inspired by Schnabel, and most likely reaching for a paintbrush, or camera, or keyboard yourself.”
Flovorwire

“Even a naysayer might be surprised to find himself intrigued by the variety of energetic paintings shown here, reminding us that Schnabel has done more than those cracked-pottery portraits and the overfamiliar image of the girl with a stripe across her eyes.”
The Hollywood Reporter

“Though visually expansive ... the film feels emotionally intimate.”
Village Voice