Director Carla Gutierrez spoke about her new documentary Frida in her new uInterview.
The documentary that follows the iconic painter Frida Kahlo explores the artist’s life through her own words, using diaries, letters, essays, and interviews.
When asked what she learned about Kahlo from the production, Gutierrez told uInterview founder Erik Meers, “I feel like I really knew all the details of her; there was not much that really surprised me when we were doing the research – in terms of facts. But what really surprised me was this opportunity to really hear about her emotions in a very deep, personal way. So to really hear the texture of her person, the texture of her personality, the texture of her essence and her spirit—that was surprising, being able to see her in a very fragile way sometimes, or a very messy way, a very insecure way.”
Gutierrez added, “It...
The documentary that follows the iconic painter Frida Kahlo explores the artist’s life through her own words, using diaries, letters, essays, and interviews.
When asked what she learned about Kahlo from the production, Gutierrez told uInterview founder Erik Meers, “I feel like I really knew all the details of her; there was not much that really surprised me when we were doing the research – in terms of facts. But what really surprised me was this opportunity to really hear about her emotions in a very deep, personal way. So to really hear the texture of her person, the texture of her personality, the texture of her essence and her spirit—that was surprising, being able to see her in a very fragile way sometimes, or a very messy way, a very insecure way.”
Gutierrez added, “It...
- 4/5/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
In this episode of CinemaNerdz: The Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Mike Tyrkus finds the documentary Frida to be an honest and lovingly constructed film that brings to the forefront the far-reaching influence of Kahlo and her work.
Check out the full CinemaNerdz review of Frida here!
Subscribe to CinemaNerdz: The Podcast here!
The post Podcast Ep. 67: “Frida” first appeared on CinemaNerdz.
Check out the full CinemaNerdz review of Frida here!
Subscribe to CinemaNerdz: The Podcast here!
The post Podcast Ep. 67: “Frida” first appeared on CinemaNerdz.
- 3/24/2024
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Not to be confused with the 2002 narrative film by director Julie Taymor, starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera of the same name, the new documentary Frida is an honest and lovingly constructed film that brings to the forefront the far-reaching influence of Kahlo and her work, further solidifying her status as an artist of singular importance.
The film is narrated by Fernanda Echevarría, performing as Frida Kahlo reading from her diary, letters, essays, and various printed interviews. This approach, when presented alongside the vivid animations of Kahlo’s work breathes an extraordinary amount of life into an already extraordinary life. The story unfolds as both a raw and methodical journey throughout Kahlo’s life that never strays from the central through line of her search for beauty through art.
Carla Gutierrez makes an impressive directorial debut with Frida after amassing an astonishingly impressive resume of credits as an editor.
The film is narrated by Fernanda Echevarría, performing as Frida Kahlo reading from her diary, letters, essays, and various printed interviews. This approach, when presented alongside the vivid animations of Kahlo’s work breathes an extraordinary amount of life into an already extraordinary life. The story unfolds as both a raw and methodical journey throughout Kahlo’s life that never strays from the central through line of her search for beauty through art.
Carla Gutierrez makes an impressive directorial debut with Frida after amassing an astonishingly impressive resume of credits as an editor.
- 3/16/2024
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
Well, it’s over. Now that the 2024 film awards season is in the rearview mirror, the onslaught of prestige titles hitting digital platforms will come to a temporary halt. Thankfully, this week still brings a pretty decent crop of new releases.
The contender to watch this week: “Drive-Away Dolls“
Ethan Coen‘s second movie without Joel — his first was the documentary “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind,” which is streaming exclusively on Prime Video — has posted modest box-office returns, but the breezy road comedy seems destined for cult-favorite status. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan play friends who get caught up in a band of maladroit criminals during a road trip down South. Co-written with Tricia Cooke, who edited “The Big Lebowski” and other Coen-brother movies, “Drive-Away Dolls” also features Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and newly minted Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. It’s available to rent or purchase on VOD.
The contender to watch this week: “Drive-Away Dolls“
Ethan Coen‘s second movie without Joel — his first was the documentary “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind,” which is streaming exclusively on Prime Video — has posted modest box-office returns, but the breezy road comedy seems destined for cult-favorite status. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan play friends who get caught up in a band of maladroit criminals during a road trip down South. Co-written with Tricia Cooke, who edited “The Big Lebowski” and other Coen-brother movies, “Drive-Away Dolls” also features Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and newly minted Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. It’s available to rent or purchase on VOD.
- 3/16/2024
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
One of Frida Kahlo’s paintings featured in the documentary Frida. © 2024 Banco de México Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. Av. 5 de Mayo No. 20, col. Centro, alc. Cuauhtémoc, c.p. 06000, Mexico City. Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
Frida Kahlo remains endlessly intriguing, in part because the Mexican artist’s colorful paintings remain striking, mysterious and even slightly disturbing and partly because of her bold, dramatic, sometimes tragic life. The artist has been the subject of several films, both narrative and documentary, and Kahlo has been played beautifully by actresses Salma Hayek and Ofelia Medina among others. But in director/writer Carla Gutierrez’s new biographical documentary Frida, Frida Kahlo plays herself.
Gutierrez’s Frida brings fresh insights into Frida Kahlo’s life and work, by putting that life into her own words for the first time, words exclusively drawn from her letters, interviews and her illustrated diary. We also hear...
Frida Kahlo remains endlessly intriguing, in part because the Mexican artist’s colorful paintings remain striking, mysterious and even slightly disturbing and partly because of her bold, dramatic, sometimes tragic life. The artist has been the subject of several films, both narrative and documentary, and Kahlo has been played beautifully by actresses Salma Hayek and Ofelia Medina among others. But in director/writer Carla Gutierrez’s new biographical documentary Frida, Frida Kahlo plays herself.
Gutierrez’s Frida brings fresh insights into Frida Kahlo’s life and work, by putting that life into her own words for the first time, words exclusively drawn from her letters, interviews and her illustrated diary. We also hear...
- 3/15/2024
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Animal Kingdom (Thomas Cailley)
In The Animal Kingdom, an Un Certain Regard-selected science-fiction romp from France, human-animal mutations are the new norm. Director Thomas Cailley begins things in media res with a familiar disaster-movie scene: François (Romain Duris) and Émile (Paul Kircher)––father and son, respectively––are stuck in traffic, making chit-chat, when something slowly begins capturing the attention of other drivers. An ambulance across the way begins to rumble. Then a man with a large winged arm bursts out, causing some damage before scurrying down a tunnel. Only mildly ruffled, François exchanges a jaded aphorism with another driver over: “Strange times.” – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli)
The ever-evolving nature of fame and infamy gets examined in Dream Scenario,...
The Animal Kingdom (Thomas Cailley)
In The Animal Kingdom, an Un Certain Regard-selected science-fiction romp from France, human-animal mutations are the new norm. Director Thomas Cailley begins things in media res with a familiar disaster-movie scene: François (Romain Duris) and Émile (Paul Kircher)––father and son, respectively––are stuck in traffic, making chit-chat, when something slowly begins capturing the attention of other drivers. An ambulance across the way begins to rumble. Then a man with a large winged arm bursts out, causing some damage before scurrying down a tunnel. Only mildly ruffled, François exchanges a jaded aphorism with another driver over: “Strange times.” – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli)
The ever-evolving nature of fame and infamy gets examined in Dream Scenario,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
At the world premiere of Frida during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, audiences couldn’t stop talking about director Carla Gutierrez’s choice to animate Frida Kahlo’s paintings throughout the documentary about the artist — and not always in a good way.
“We knew that it was a bold decision,” Gutierrez told IndieWire of the conversation that sprang up around the film. “Obviously, when you’re putting out a film and you’re getting the first reactions, you take them really intensely, and it’s just like, ‘Oh, Ok.’ But we had so many conversations about what we meant and what we wanted to do with animation, that a lot of the things that people brought up or questioned were actually questions that we posed ourselves through the process.”
Though controversial — IndieWire’s Christian Zilko wrote, “Rather than show [Kahlo’s] actual paintings, the film relies on animated versions of them...
“We knew that it was a bold decision,” Gutierrez told IndieWire of the conversation that sprang up around the film. “Obviously, when you’re putting out a film and you’re getting the first reactions, you take them really intensely, and it’s just like, ‘Oh, Ok.’ But we had so many conversations about what we meant and what we wanted to do with animation, that a lot of the things that people brought up or questioned were actually questions that we posed ourselves through the process.”
Though controversial — IndieWire’s Christian Zilko wrote, “Rather than show [Kahlo’s] actual paintings, the film relies on animated versions of them...
- 3/14/2024
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
A new documentary about the groundbreaking artist uses her journals to illustrate a fearless voice who lived a unique life
The life of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is a story that has been told many, many times. Since she began to be rediscovered in the 1980s, there have been hundreds of books written about her, as well as several feature films telling her story from various angles. And then there are the art exhibitions – dozens since 2020 alone.
Kahlo’s story has been so well-documented and so thoroughly disseminated that one wonders if it is even possible still to find a new angle on the artist. This is the sizable task that the longtime film editor and first-time director Carla Gutiérrez sets for herself in her new movie on the artist, simply titled Frida.
The life of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is a story that has been told many, many times. Since she began to be rediscovered in the 1980s, there have been hundreds of books written about her, as well as several feature films telling her story from various angles. And then there are the art exhibitions – dozens since 2020 alone.
Kahlo’s story has been so well-documented and so thoroughly disseminated that one wonders if it is even possible still to find a new angle on the artist. This is the sizable task that the longtime film editor and first-time director Carla Gutiérrez sets for herself in her new movie on the artist, simply titled Frida.
- 3/11/2024
- by Veronica Esposito
- The Guardian - Film News
Streaming exclusively on Prime Video on Thursday, March 14th is Amazon MGM Studios documentary Frida.
An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo. Told through her own words for the very first time — drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews — and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork.
The feature film directorial debut of acclaimed editor Carla Gutiérrez (Rbg, La Corona), Frida posits a striking context as to why the artist – and her art — remains as powerful as ever.
The St. Louis advance screening is Wednesday, March 13th, 7pm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.
Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
Enter at the link: https://amazonscreenings.com/WAMGfrida
Photo by Lucienne Bloch, Courtesy Old Stage Studios
Covering more than 40 years of her life, the filmmakers received unrestricted access to research materials, much...
An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo. Told through her own words for the very first time — drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews — and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork.
The feature film directorial debut of acclaimed editor Carla Gutiérrez (Rbg, La Corona), Frida posits a striking context as to why the artist – and her art — remains as powerful as ever.
The St. Louis advance screening is Wednesday, March 13th, 7pm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.
Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
Enter at the link: https://amazonscreenings.com/WAMGfrida
Photo by Lucienne Bloch, Courtesy Old Stage Studios
Covering more than 40 years of her life, the filmmakers received unrestricted access to research materials, much...
- 3/9/2024
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo, Frida is told through her own words for the very first time, drawn from her famed illustrated diary, revealing letters, essays, and candid print interviews – and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork. The feature film directorial debut of acclaimed editor Carla Gutiérrez, Frida posits a striking context as to why the artist – and her art – remains as powerful as ever.
Covering more than 40 years of her life, the filmmakers received unrestricted access to research materials, much never shown to the general public before. What is extraordinary about Kahlo’s life and art is how her images would galvanize multiple generations of admirers worldwide, doing more than solidifying her status as a modern artist of timeless import.
An intensive journey spanning two years, Gutiérrez and her formidable team of artisans,...
Covering more than 40 years of her life, the filmmakers received unrestricted access to research materials, much never shown to the general public before. What is extraordinary about Kahlo’s life and art is how her images would galvanize multiple generations of admirers worldwide, doing more than solidifying her status as a modern artist of timeless import.
An intensive journey spanning two years, Gutiérrez and her formidable team of artisans,...
- 3/8/2024
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
"Many lives would not be enough to paint everything I want." Prime Video has unveiled the official trailer for the documentary film Frida, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival a few months back. Not to be confused with the narrative feature also called Frida (from 2002 which won Best Original Score & Best Make-Up Oscars), this is the comprehensive documentary version of her story. Frida is a raw, magical journey into the life of iconic artist Frida Kahlo, told through her own words from diaries, letters, essays, interviews. Vividly brought to life with lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork. An intensive journey spanning two years, director Carla Gutiérrez and her formidable team of artisans, most of whom are women and proudly Latine, crafted a singular cinematic experience that could be no ordinary art history lesson. A living portrait emboldened by the magical realism befitting Kahlo's remarkable life emerges. Yet,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Frida Kahlo’s art is taking on a new form, thanks to the documentary “Frida.” Editor Carla Gutiérrez (“Rbg”) makes her feature directorial debut with documentary “Frida” about the life and legacy of acclaimed painter Kahlo.
Gutiérrez uses Kahlo’s own words, coupled with animated versions of her artwork, to bring Kahlo’s pieces to life onscreen. The film uses Kahlo’s illustrated diary, letters, essays, and print interviews to craft a new story around Kahlo’s personal life and love affairs across 40 years, including her famed marriage to husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera. The film debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Director Gutiérrez spent two years researching Kahlo before helming “Frida.” The filmmaker also employed a team of mostly female Latina artists to create the singular cinematic experience that transcends an art history lesson and becomes a living portrait of Kahlo’s life, with her artistic magical realism at the center.
Gutiérrez uses Kahlo’s own words, coupled with animated versions of her artwork, to bring Kahlo’s pieces to life onscreen. The film uses Kahlo’s illustrated diary, letters, essays, and print interviews to craft a new story around Kahlo’s personal life and love affairs across 40 years, including her famed marriage to husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera. The film debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Director Gutiérrez spent two years researching Kahlo before helming “Frida.” The filmmaker also employed a team of mostly female Latina artists to create the singular cinematic experience that transcends an art history lesson and becomes a living portrait of Kahlo’s life, with her artistic magical realism at the center.
- 3/7/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Voiceovers of Frida Kahlo’s writing give us unprecedented insight into her life as she dealt with chronic pain, divorce, infidelity, miscarriage and commercial success
“I paint because I need to.” The revelation of this new documentary about Frida Kahlo is the white-hot brilliance of her writing. On the voiceover, Kahlo tells her story in her own words, stitched together from letters, diaries and interviews (brought to life by Mexican stage actor Fernanda Echevarría del Rivero). The end result has a raw, thrilling intimacy.
Kahlo was rebellious by nature. As a little girl she tugged on the priest’s cassock: “Was the virgin Mary really a virgin?” At college, on course to become a doctor, she wore men’s suits; in old photos, she looks like a beautiful boy. Then came the life-changing accident that nearly killed her. Aged 18, Kahlo was travelling on a bus that collided with a tram.
“I paint because I need to.” The revelation of this new documentary about Frida Kahlo is the white-hot brilliance of her writing. On the voiceover, Kahlo tells her story in her own words, stitched together from letters, diaries and interviews (brought to life by Mexican stage actor Fernanda Echevarría del Rivero). The end result has a raw, thrilling intimacy.
Kahlo was rebellious by nature. As a little girl she tugged on the priest’s cassock: “Was the virgin Mary really a virgin?” At college, on course to become a doctor, she wore men’s suits; in old photos, she looks like a beautiful boy. Then came the life-changing accident that nearly killed her. Aged 18, Kahlo was travelling on a bus that collided with a tram.
- 3/6/2024
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s been a remarkable past year for Free Solo directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. At Telluride, they premiered their first narrative feature Nyad, a dramatization of the relentless pursuit of extreme athlete Diana Nyad to swim from Cuba to Florida without the safety of a shark cage. The Netflix release has gone on to earn Oscar nominations for its stars Annette Bening and Jodie Foster.
But the filmmaking couple hasn’t left the world of nonfiction cinema behind. They return to documentary storytelling this month with Photographer, a National Geographic series about the elite artists who take some of the world’s most remarkable images of wildlife and the human family. Vasarhelyi and Chin join the latest episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to discuss their six-part series, which profiles NatGeo photographers Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier, Muhammed Muheisen, Krystle Wright and others.
Vasarhelyi and Chin also share insights from making Nyad,...
But the filmmaking couple hasn’t left the world of nonfiction cinema behind. They return to documentary storytelling this month with Photographer, a National Geographic series about the elite artists who take some of the world’s most remarkable images of wildlife and the human family. Vasarhelyi and Chin join the latest episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to discuss their six-part series, which profiles NatGeo photographers Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier, Muhammed Muheisen, Krystle Wright and others.
Vasarhelyi and Chin also share insights from making Nyad,...
- 3/6/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In late 2021 I went to Mexico City on my first international vacation in the era of Covid. The world had changed and everything felt both exciting and, given how frail the suddenness of the pandemic made us feel, insignificant. I have always adored the Mexican capital (I gained 10 pounds in two weeks by having tacos at every shop I found) but this time it felt mournful. What place on Earth didn’t? One afternoon my mother and I walked over 30 blocks (public transportation still felt terrifying) to attend “Immersive Frida Kahlo,” one of those digital shows where an artist’s work is dissected and projected on enormous screens to create an “experience.”
Despite my skepticism, it was one of the most moving things I’d experienced since lockdown. Kahlo’s work, after all––despite its horrors and heartbreak––invites us to lean in and peer into her world. Surrounded by...
Despite my skepticism, it was one of the most moving things I’d experienced since lockdown. Kahlo’s work, after all––despite its horrors and heartbreak––invites us to lean in and peer into her world. Surrounded by...
- 1/29/2024
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
Carla Gutierrez, a Peruvian emigre to the United States who made her name as an editor of documentaries (“Rbg”), transitions to director with “Frida” (Time Studios/Imagine Documentaries/Amazon/MGM), which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, January 18.
Long obsessed with Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Gutierrez was reading some of the books about her and realized there was enough material for Kahlo to narrate her own story. “When I started looking at research material, I found that no one had truly focused on her voice and let Frida herself carry a narrative,” said Gutierrez via a Zoom interview.
She went to her “Rbg” and “Julia” directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West and pitched them the idea of digging deep into a third “kick-ass woman,” said Gutierrez. They became executive producers, but when they went out to find backing, some companies were afraid of a Spanish-language archive movie that might feel historically distant.
Long obsessed with Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Gutierrez was reading some of the books about her and realized there was enough material for Kahlo to narrate her own story. “When I started looking at research material, I found that no one had truly focused on her voice and let Frida herself carry a narrative,” said Gutierrez via a Zoom interview.
She went to her “Rbg” and “Julia” directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West and pitched them the idea of digging deep into a third “kick-ass woman,” said Gutierrez. They became executive producers, but when they went out to find backing, some companies were afraid of a Spanish-language archive movie that might feel historically distant.
- 1/20/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The image of Frida Kahlo, the prominent Mexican painter of the early 20 century, is one of the most replicated and commercialized of any artist in the history of the world. From T-shirts to houseware, merchandise of all sorts emblazoned with her face has turned Kahlo into a kitschy, mainstream, decontextualized emblem for Mexican identity. It doesn’t help that the vast majority of her works are self-portraits. Onscreen, the Salma Hayek-starring Hollywood biopic from director Julie Taymor and Paul Leduc’s 1983’s Mexican-production “Frida Still Life” attempted to decipher the tehuana-clad iconoclast via scripted portrayals.
With all that cultural and media baggage on her shoulders, Carla Gutiérrez dares to construct a documentary using a unique approach to such an imposing subject. An editor taking on directorial duties for the first time, Gutierrez is no stranger to assembling nonfiction portraits of major figures, having cut titles like “Rgb” and “Chavela”. Told mostly in Spanish,...
With all that cultural and media baggage on her shoulders, Carla Gutiérrez dares to construct a documentary using a unique approach to such an imposing subject. An editor taking on directorial duties for the first time, Gutierrez is no stranger to assembling nonfiction portraits of major figures, having cut titles like “Rgb” and “Chavela”. Told mostly in Spanish,...
- 1/20/2024
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety Film + TV
Director Carla Gutierrez wanted to give artist Frida Kahlo to the people, specifically the people of Mexico who call her an icon. Though Gutierrez herself is a Peruvian immigrant, as a woman from Latin America she was familiar with the acclaimed artist and felt a deep protectiveness of her.
“She’s become such a big icon and there [are] a lot of communities [who] claim her,” Gutierrez told TheWrap’s Editor-in-Chief Sharon Waxman while at TheWrap’s Sundance Portrait and Interview Studio presented by Nfp. “We see ourselves reflected in her art and in her image,” she said.
“I wanted to work on this because I had, like many of us, a connection to her art,” said Gutierrez. “I had not seen a film that had really focused on her voice, completely.” The former editor turned director knew there was a lot of material out there, but much of it wasn’t obvious.
“She’s become such a big icon and there [are] a lot of communities [who] claim her,” Gutierrez told TheWrap’s Editor-in-Chief Sharon Waxman while at TheWrap’s Sundance Portrait and Interview Studio presented by Nfp. “We see ourselves reflected in her art and in her image,” she said.
“I wanted to work on this because I had, like many of us, a connection to her art,” said Gutierrez. “I had not seen a film that had really focused on her voice, completely.” The former editor turned director knew there was a lot of material out there, but much of it wasn’t obvious.
- 1/20/2024
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Carla Gutierrez is known in the documentary community for her work as a film editor. She was behind Oscar nominated docs “Rbg” and “La Corona” as well as Emmy winner “Julia.” But in 2022, after two decades of editing, Gutierrez decided to direct “Frida,” a docu about iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, which has its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival this week.
“A few months before we started working on ‘Frida,’ I would say, ‘I’m really content with editing.’ I had no thoughts of directing, but her story really pulled me in and I realized I have to direct this (film). Of course I edited it as well because I couldn’t help myself.”
Told through Kahlo’s own words drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays and print interviews, “Frida” is an intimate glimpse into the artist’s deepest thoughts, artistic sensibilities and passionate romances.
The film is...
“A few months before we started working on ‘Frida,’ I would say, ‘I’m really content with editing.’ I had no thoughts of directing, but her story really pulled me in and I realized I have to direct this (film). Of course I edited it as well because I couldn’t help myself.”
Told through Kahlo’s own words drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays and print interviews, “Frida” is an intimate glimpse into the artist’s deepest thoughts, artistic sensibilities and passionate romances.
The film is...
- 1/19/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Editor’s Note: This review was originally published at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Amazon will release “Friday” on March 14.
One of the great tragedies of Frida Kahlo’s life is the fact that, for all her brilliance as an artist, she was often defined by the people whose orbits she shared. In the eyes of many, her primary role in history was being Diego Rivera’s wife, a source of inspiration and creative friction that propelled him to greatness as he painted his legendary murals. Her infamous affair with Leon Trotsky only added to the mystique of her image as a muse for male revolutionaries. It’s a wildly simplistic understanding of her life, of course, as Kahlo’s paintings are every bit as historically significant as Rivera’s. From her early embrace of Mexican folk art and Surrealist imagery to her unflinching depictions of female anatomy and malaise, Kahlo...
One of the great tragedies of Frida Kahlo’s life is the fact that, for all her brilliance as an artist, she was often defined by the people whose orbits she shared. In the eyes of many, her primary role in history was being Diego Rivera’s wife, a source of inspiration and creative friction that propelled him to greatness as he painted his legendary murals. Her infamous affair with Leon Trotsky only added to the mystique of her image as a muse for male revolutionaries. It’s a wildly simplistic understanding of her life, of course, as Kahlo’s paintings are every bit as historically significant as Rivera’s. From her early embrace of Mexican folk art and Surrealist imagery to her unflinching depictions of female anatomy and malaise, Kahlo...
- 1/19/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
My guess is that Frida Kahlo would have loathed “Immersive Frida Kahlo,” the kind of touring exhibit that professes to honor the canvas while bathing it in digital-tech kitsch. And, having seen Carla Gutiérrez’s riveting documentary Frida, I’m certain the artist would have announced her disdain with a laugh and a healthy dose of juicy invective. If you want to immerse yourself in Frida Kahlo, here is the real thing.
Taking the helm for the first time, editor Gutiérrez (Rbg, Julia) pushes past the dime-a-dozen “icon” label to face the artist on her own terms, drawing upon Kahlo’s illustrated diaries and letters. The film’s archival riches also include an extraordinary selection of photographs and footage, and the transcripts of interviews with people close to Kahlo by biographer Hayden Herrera, whose 1983 book was the basis of the Julie Taymor biopic starring Salma Hayek.
Whatever that 2002 movie’s strengths and weaknesses,...
Taking the helm for the first time, editor Gutiérrez (Rbg, Julia) pushes past the dime-a-dozen “icon” label to face the artist on her own terms, drawing upon Kahlo’s illustrated diaries and letters. The film’s archival riches also include an extraordinary selection of photographs and footage, and the transcripts of interviews with people close to Kahlo by biographer Hayden Herrera, whose 1983 book was the basis of the Julie Taymor biopic starring Salma Hayek.
Whatever that 2002 movie’s strengths and weaknesses,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Given the current dismal political and cultural climate as well as streaming services’ massive appetite for celebrity driven content, it comes as no surprise that the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival is chock full of portrait documentaries. Frida Kahlo, Christopher Reeve, Luther Vandross and Tammy Faye are just a few of the boldface names that are being examined in various docus featured in the Sundance nonfiction lineup.
The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus. In recent years, films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), Harvey Weinstein (“Untouchable”), Michael Jackson (“Leaving Neverland”), Kanye West (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”), Bill Cosby (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”) and most recently Judy Blume (“Judy Blume Forever”) and Michael J. Fox (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) had world premieres in Park City.
But unlike films self-produced by their star subjects, the profile docus selected...
The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus. In recent years, films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), Harvey Weinstein (“Untouchable”), Michael Jackson (“Leaving Neverland”), Kanye West (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”), Bill Cosby (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”) and most recently Judy Blume (“Judy Blume Forever”) and Michael J. Fox (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) had world premieres in Park City.
But unlike films self-produced by their star subjects, the profile docus selected...
- 1/17/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The French artist Apolonia Sokol – focus of the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Apolonia, Apolonia – has been compared to the great Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She concedes there may be a few parallels, beginning with something of a physical resemblance.
“I was joking a little bit about that — the fact that we have the unibrow and the mustache,” Sokol laughs. “Maybe these are similarities.”
On a more substantive level, both artists describe themselves as almost possessed by the creative urge. “I paint because I need to,” Kahlo once said. In the documentary directed by Lea Glob, Sokol comments, “I can’t tell the difference between my identity and my work. But there really is no difference.”
Painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), circa 1945.
There’s another parallel between them. “What is so interesting about Frida Kahlo is that she was one of the first artists to actually create her own mythology, her personal mythology, for her paintings.
“I was joking a little bit about that — the fact that we have the unibrow and the mustache,” Sokol laughs. “Maybe these are similarities.”
On a more substantive level, both artists describe themselves as almost possessed by the creative urge. “I paint because I need to,” Kahlo once said. In the documentary directed by Lea Glob, Sokol comments, “I can’t tell the difference between my identity and my work. But there really is no difference.”
Painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), circa 1945.
There’s another parallel between them. “What is so interesting about Frida Kahlo is that she was one of the first artists to actually create her own mythology, her personal mythology, for her paintings.
- 1/13/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Miami-based production powerhouse Btf Media has announced new appointments and promotions to expand its management team and position in Spanish-speaking markets.
Company founders Ricardo Coeto and Francisco Cordero will now serve as co-CEOs of the company. Cordero will lead business affairs and Ricardo creative affairs.
The film-tv company, whose recent projects include a Frida Kahlo TV series co-produced with the Frida Kahlo estate, has appointed industry veteran Yoselín Pérez Valdez as SVP of sales.
In her new position, she will head up Btf’s front office, helping secure new deals with clients. Pérez Valdez has more than 20 years of experience within the advertising and sales industry.
Ivonne Vela, former Cms manager at Btf, has been promoted to SVP of business affairs. Vela will oversee the operations of the management and back office team, as well as working with future stakeholders and managing projects.
“We are very proud to announce the new leadership for the company,...
Company founders Ricardo Coeto and Francisco Cordero will now serve as co-CEOs of the company. Cordero will lead business affairs and Ricardo creative affairs.
The film-tv company, whose recent projects include a Frida Kahlo TV series co-produced with the Frida Kahlo estate, has appointed industry veteran Yoselín Pérez Valdez as SVP of sales.
In her new position, she will head up Btf’s front office, helping secure new deals with clients. Pérez Valdez has more than 20 years of experience within the advertising and sales industry.
Ivonne Vela, former Cms manager at Btf, has been promoted to SVP of business affairs. Vela will oversee the operations of the management and back office team, as well as working with future stakeholders and managing projects.
“We are very proud to announce the new leadership for the company,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Liza Foreman
- Variety Film + TV
Next Tuesday, on September 26, 2023, at 9:00 Pm, PBS will air the second episode of “Becoming Frida Kahlo” Season 1, titled “Love and Loss.” In this episode, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera go to America, becoming famous. Sadly, Frida experiences two difficult events during this time. Her mother passes away, and she has a miscarriage. This episode will show how Frida and Diego’s fame grows as they travel to America, but also how they face these personal challenges.
Viewers can expect to learn more about Frida Kahlo’s life and her journey to becoming an iconic artist. “Love and Loss” will provide insight into the highs and lows of Frida’s life, without any emotional descriptions. It’s a chance for everyone to understand the facts behind her story. So, don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday night to watch the next chapter of “Becoming Frida Kahlo.”
Release Date & Time:...
Viewers can expect to learn more about Frida Kahlo’s life and her journey to becoming an iconic artist. “Love and Loss” will provide insight into the highs and lows of Frida’s life, without any emotional descriptions. It’s a chance for everyone to understand the facts behind her story. So, don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday night to watch the next chapter of “Becoming Frida Kahlo.”
Release Date & Time:...
- 9/22/2023
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Although she was born in 1907, Frida Kahlo liked to say her life began in 1910 with the start of the Mexican Revolution, which eventually gave birth to a “new” Mexico that would have space for artists like herself. When the dust had settled and a new Constitution was in place, Kahlo would embrace the Mexicayotl movement, taking its message well beyond the borders of her native country.
- 9/19/2023
- by Danette Chavez
- Primetimer
Lupus Films attending this week’s Annecy Film Festival with ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’.
UK-based sales agency WestEnd Films has boarded Las Dos Fridas, the new animated feature from UK producers Lupus Films.
WestEnd will sell the film under its WeLove label, launched to promote female talent and bring female-driven content of all genres to audiences.
Currently in development, Las Dos Fridas will be written and directed by UK filmmaker Paloma Baeza, who is of Mexican heritage. Inspired by the visual style of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, the film will depict the key moments which changed Kahlo’s life, from the motor...
UK-based sales agency WestEnd Films has boarded Las Dos Fridas, the new animated feature from UK producers Lupus Films.
WestEnd will sell the film under its WeLove label, launched to promote female talent and bring female-driven content of all genres to audiences.
Currently in development, Las Dos Fridas will be written and directed by UK filmmaker Paloma Baeza, who is of Mexican heritage. Inspired by the visual style of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, the film will depict the key moments which changed Kahlo’s life, from the motor...
- 6/12/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
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