What do you consider your crowning achievement? What’s the one thing you have that you’ve poured every ounce of yourself into in order to make it a reality? Now imagine if somebody just swooped in and took that thing away from you. What would you do to get it back? How far would you go? That’s the question at the heart of the Sundance doc The Painter and the Thief, and the story is pretty incredible.
Directed by Benjamin Ree, The Painter and the Thief centers on Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova. When two of her prized paintings are stolen from a gallery in broad daylight, Barbora doesn’t simply go to the police for answers. When she discovers the criminal’s identity, she befriends him and that leads to an unusual, truly unexpected bond and a different kind of art project.
The Painter and the Thief opens on May 22nd. The buzz is strong for this one following its Special Jury Prize for Creative Storytelling win at Sundance.
SYNOPSIS: Desperate for answers about the theft of her 2 paintings, a Czech artist seeks out and befriends the career criminal who stole them. After inviting her thief to sit for a portrait, the two form an improbable relationship and an inextricable bond that will forever link these lonely souls.
