Christian Boltanski
Christian Boltanski was one of the most significant and renowned contemporary French artist.
Much more than your run-of-the mill portrait of an artist, “Boltanski by Fleischer” is an unprecedented collaboration between an art maverick and a multi-hyphenate director. The documentary prolongs their 50 years of creative friendship, uncovering most of Boltanski’s history. Fleischer dives into his personal “pinacotheca”, featuring never-seen-before archival material on the artist, which include behind-the scenes work sessions, interviews, and more intimate moments, all connected to artistic milestones in Boltanski’s trajectory.
Type (Documentaire / Documentaire fiction / Série documentaire)DocumentaryGenre en anglaisArts & culture Written and directed byAlain FleischerEditingBaptiste ÉvrardCinematographyAlain FleischerSoundMatthieu DesnosOriginal score Siegfried CantoNarrationThomas RouvillainIn coproduction with Le Fresnoy - Studio national des Arts contemporains, Le Fresnoy - Studio national des Arts contemporains, Centre PompidouSupported by CNC, TV5 Monde Festival(s)2021 • FIFA - Festival International du Film sur l'Art • Montréal (Canada)AwardsPrix du meilleur essai FIFA Year2020Duration82min
For 50 years, filmmaker Alain Fleischer and artist Christian Boltanski have shared an unbreakable friendship and an unparalleled documentary project.
As Boltanski’s multifaceted work evolved, Fleischer captured unique moments of life and creation. These rare sequences, closely tied to Boltanski’s journey, also highlight the extensive preparatory work the artist undertook for major solo exhibitions. From Monumenta to the Venice Biennale and numerous tributes around the world, Fleischer closely followed the rapid rise of his friend’s international career.
In the fall of 2019, the Centre Pompidou is dedicating a major retrospective to Christian Boltanski. This provides the perfect opportunity for Alain Fleischer to unveil his personal “pinacotheca,” rich with invaluable and exceedingly rare archival material. These images, some of which have been accumulated and preserved for decades, are finally being edited and made public.
More than just an artist’s portrait, this film represents an unprecedented documentary “experience” between an unconventional artist and a multifaceted filmmaker. It beautifully reflects Christian Boltanski’s desire for transmission—conveying his journey, which originates from a particularly tragic moment in European history, and through Fleischer’s intimate perspective, the personal trajectory of one of the most creative artists of contemporary times.
Press coverage
This film allows us to grasp Boltanski's work as a series of profound revelations and sensitive encounters in every sense of the word.
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