Portrait of the Artist (Le dos rouge)

Friday, March 6, 2015

North American Premiere

“Spellbinding.” – Melissa Anderson, Artforum

Renowned director Bertrand Bonello (House of Pleasures and Saint Laurent) stars as “Bertrand,” a filmmaker approaching his next project with a peculiar obsession—monstrosity. Convinced it should be the central theme of his film, he fixates on the notion of monstrous imagery, visiting museums and even hiring a mysterious art historian (played simultaneously by Jeanne Balibar and Géraldine Pailhas) to help him find the painting that best embodies the idea (considering works by Francis Bacon, Caravaggio, and others). But to his shock, the mania consuming his mind begins to manifest itself in his body as a monstrous red stain takes shape on his back. A disquieting yet fascinating (and funny!) mixture of body horror and character study, co-starring Barbet Schroeder as a physician and Joana Preiss as Bertrand’s wife Barbe.

Additional screenings March 12 at BAM and March 15 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Part of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2015

• Country France
• Language In French with English subtitles
• Rating NR
• Running Time 127 minutes
• Director Antoine Barraud

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.