|
The Great Spanish Painter and Self-Styled Genius
Salvador Dali is unquestionably one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. Considered also to be a most artistic, extravagant personality, his work is represented in every major public collection of modern painting. His popularity amongst the general public is almost unrivaled and certainly greater than any other contemporary artist. Yet Dali was heard to say, "I believe I am a rather mediocre painter in what I produce. The genius lies in my vision, not in what I am in the process of creating."
Dali's exceptional creativity, spanning more than half a century, encompassed not only painting but writing, sculpture, fashion and film. Among his greatest creations is his own persona, adorned like his idol, Velazquez, with a spectacular moustache. Dali is the extroverted, self-proclaimed genius, not governed by the norms of conventional society, whose personal philosophy transcends the ordinary, living by his own rules. Dali has said, "The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad!"
The film presents Dali's entire oeuvre - painting, sculpture, writing, fashion and film - in the context of his extraordinary career. It has been constructed through a combination of specifically shot location footage, archive film, feature film material, rostrum filming of Dali's paintings and interviews with Dali's friends and colleagues. The narration of the film has been drawn from Dali's own writings, principally "My Secret Life" and "The Unspeakable Confessions of Salvador Dali," but also critical and other writings.
Filming locations include Barcelona, Cadaques, Perpignan, Paris, London, New York and Florida. Filming also took place in Dali's final great work and principal monument, the Teatro Museo Dali in Figueras.
|
|
