Factual and Documentary
The film retraces the life of Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, known as Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), a Dutch painter whose work marked a turning point in the history of Modern art. First influenced by Cubism, Mondrian invented a universal language based on completely new geometric shapes and primary colours in the early 1920s. Together with Kandinsky and Malevitch, he is one of the precursors of purely abstract painting, a new movement which has largely influenced 20th century art. This docu-drama, filmed in the exact replica of the artist’s workshop, 26 rue du Départ in Paris, shows a living Mondrian with a passion for dance and jazz. It also recreates his artistic progression: from his first realistic work to his mystical years; from the onset of the Stijl movement to his departure for New York where he died in 1944. Based on historical records and interviews with the writer and critic Michel Seuphor, his closest companion on the road of life, this fascinating movie takes us down the intellectual and human path which led Mondrian to geometric abstract painting. With this very characteristic style he is still today one of the world’s greatest avant-garde artists.
