The Painter And The Thief begins with a brazen, daylight robbery. Two men, openly caught on security camera footage, break into a gallery and steal two paintings by Barbora Kysilkova. One of the men, Karl-Bertil, is caught and tried. At the hearing, Barbora works up the courage to speak to him, asking if they can talk outside of the legal proceeding, and quickly thereafter asking if she can paint him. As he sits in her apartment, they talk about their lives and become friends.
“The narrative weaving of The Painter and The Thief is what makes it a truly great documentary… This documentary is so intriguing and so honest, you’ll be transfixed until the incredibly satisfying and almost unbelievable end.” ★★★★★ - Cat McAlpine, UK Film Review
“(B)reathtaking to watch.” - Ed Gibbs, Little White Lies
“An assured glimpse into the artistic process, but also of healing, forgiveness and redemption. Tender, compassionate, and complex, it is a fine piece of art in its own right.” - Kevin Wight, The Wee Review
“One leaves The Painter And The Thief feeling eager to see what might happen if we were kinder and less self-interested, and convinced anew of the basic connection
between paint and the human heart.” - Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic
- Year2020
- Runtime102 minutes
- LanguageNorwegian
- CountryNorway
- RatingU
- DirectorBenjamin Ree
- CastKarl Bertil-Nordland, Barbora Kysilkova, Øystein Stene
The Painter And The Thief begins with a brazen, daylight robbery. Two men, openly caught on security camera footage, break into a gallery and steal two paintings by Barbora Kysilkova. One of the men, Karl-Bertil, is caught and tried. At the hearing, Barbora works up the courage to speak to him, asking if they can talk outside of the legal proceeding, and quickly thereafter asking if she can paint him. As he sits in her apartment, they talk about their lives and become friends.
“The narrative weaving of The Painter and The Thief is what makes it a truly great documentary… This documentary is so intriguing and so honest, you’ll be transfixed until the incredibly satisfying and almost unbelievable end.” ★★★★★ - Cat McAlpine, UK Film Review
“(B)reathtaking to watch.” - Ed Gibbs, Little White Lies
“An assured glimpse into the artistic process, but also of healing, forgiveness and redemption. Tender, compassionate, and complex, it is a fine piece of art in its own right.” - Kevin Wight, The Wee Review
“One leaves The Painter And The Thief feeling eager to see what might happen if we were kinder and less self-interested, and convinced anew of the basic connection
between paint and the human heart.” - Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic
- Year2020
- Runtime102 minutes
- LanguageNorwegian
- CountryNorway
- RatingU
- DirectorBenjamin Ree
- CastKarl Bertil-Nordland, Barbora Kysilkova, Øystein Stene