Summarize

This is a list of art, art law and other topic-related documentaries and movies, that we in ArtLaw.club and our readers find the most interesting and worth watching. You have other movies in mind? Write them down in the comments and we will add them to the list :)

Documentaries:

- The Art Of Steal (2009) – the documentary about the creation, fate and long-term struggle for control over the most important and valuable collection of Post-Impressionist and Early Modern art in the world

- Portrait of Wally (2012) – the story of Egon Schiele's 'Portrait of Wally', looted during the Nazi era and working its way back. The painting was subject to a post-war human-fault and later on subject to a 13-years-long court battle

- Art of the Heist: The Lady In Gold (2008) – the story of the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer and five other works by Gustav Klimt, their way through the twists and turns of the last century and an outstanding legal battle

- Who the fuck is Jackson Pollock? (2006) – a woman buys a 5$ painting and later learns it may be a previously unknown work by Jackson Pollock, going for tens of millions of dollars. This is a story of an ordinary man trying to enter the world of art at its highest level

- Brandpunt Special: De Van Gogh-roof (2017) – in 2002, the professional criminal stole two unique masterpieces from Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. He was later caught and convicted, but the works recovered. This documentary is the detailed confession of a burglar

- The Elgin Marbles (2004) – the documentary exploring the removal of the Elgin (or Parthenon?) Marbles from Athens and a several-centuries-long legal between Greece and the UK

- The Marbles (2025) – the new documentary about returning the Parthenon Marbles to their rightful home in Athens

- Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back (2016) – the documentary about art world enfant terrible – upstart and provocative Italian contemporary artist Maurizio Cattelan

- Эрик Булатов. Живу и вижу (2018) – the documentary about one of the best known Russian artists, one of the founders of soc-art (socialist art) movement

- The Impressionists (2006) – BBC mini-series, fully based on the documentary evidence. The movie reconstructs the origins of the Impressionist art movement and shows Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne and Manet

Pseudo-documentary:

- Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) – as every creative action of Banksy is on the edge (art or vandalism, legal or illegal, etc.), also the film by him is on the edge of genuine and mockumentary (docucomedy). The work includes the most famous graffiti and street art

Movies:

History and WWII

- The Monuments’ Men (2014) – the movie rich with Holywood stars shows how the army unit, comprising men of culture not war (museum directors, curators, art historians, an architect) follows Allied units and searches for stolen art to return it to its rightful owners at the end of the WWII

- L'Antiquaire (2015) – a French movie about a young woman's quest to recover the collection of paintings stolen from her Jewish family during the WWII

- Woman in Gold (2015) – the feature film based on the story of Maria Altmann, an ultimate owner of Adele Bloch-Bauer’s portrait and five other works by Gustav Klimt

Artists, muses and mistresses

- Loving Vincent (2017) – the world's first fully painted feature film showing the life and feelings of Vincent Van Gogh

- Van Gogh: Painted with Words (2010) – the story of Vincent Van Gogh

- Renoir (2012) – the movie based on the last years of Pierre-Auguste Renoir during WWI

- Шагал — Малевич (2014) – the movie shows the life and relations of Mark Shagal with his wife, students and Kazimir Malevich during the Vitebsk’s period

- Berthe Morisot (2012) – in 1874 was the first time when the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc. exhibited their works together outside of the official French Academy's annual Salon. Out of 30 artists, only one woman was presented

- Modigliani (2004) – the story of creative and personal life of Amadeo Modigliani

- Big Eyes (2014) – the movie showing the evolvement of famous american artist Margaret Keane and complex relationships with her husband

- Egon Schiele: Tod und Mädchen (2016) – the story of life and work of Egon Schiele

- Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti (2017) – the movie showing the life and work of Paul Gauguin, concentrating on meeting and relationships with his muse Tehuru

- Frida (2002) – the story of one of the most famous women artists – Frida Kahlo

- Camille Claudel (1988) – the biography of Camille Claudel, the mistress and muse of Auguste Rodin, who later on started to sculp both for herself and for Rodin 

Other

- The Best Offer (2013) – the story of a lonely auctioneer deceived with consummate skill. The move shows, inter alia, a backstage of auctions, auction bidding and part of the process of artwork authentication

- Colours of Love (2021) – a young woman gets involved in helping save small-town old hotel from developers’ push. This slow-moving sentimental movie, inter alia, shows how the visit of Teddy Roosevelt to Montana motivated him to initiate adoption of 1906 Antiquities Act, which for the first time gave the President of the Unites States the authority to create national monuments and provided general protection to cultural and natural resources

Series:

- Fake or Fortune? – BBC One TV series, where provenance research and attribution issues are reflected and discussed in details. Very interesting is to follow the life and work of every artist reflected

- Civilisations – the series talks about he history of art from the dawn of human history to the present day

- Cultural Hertiage Protection and the Humanitarian Ecosystem Video series by Blue Shield International: https://theblueshield.org/resources/chp-and-humanitarian-videos/