Vincent Van Gogh, Why is the Artist Still an Enigma?

The enigma of Vincent Van Gogh, 125 years after his death, is explored through an extraordinary contemporary play that was first written and performed by the late actor Leonard Nimoy in the 1970s, and brought to life by a talented French actor named Jean-Michel Richaud. The documentary team follows in Van Gogh's footsteps in the south of France, where he painted most of his masterpieces, in Belgium, where he was a preacher to coal miners, and in Holland, where he is born. Countless historians, including the Musée d'Orsay and the Van Gogh Museum, and others have been filmed discussing the master painter in an effort to dispel myths about this mysterious man who has almost always been cataloged as crazy artist. Van Gogh's legacy lives on as the film explores the world of street artists in Amsterdam and Los Angeles who, inspired by the great master, publicly recognize Van Gogh's genius. Among these renowned artists is NOWART, a Parisian street artist whom we filmed launching his own Van Gogh exhibition in Auvers-sur-Oise, the town where Vincent last lived. The play provides an invaluable service in framing the film, and its creator, Leonard Nimoy, helped narrate the play before his death. Leonard Nimoy was a renaissance man in every sense of the word, as a writer, actor, director, artist and, above all, as a humanist. We pay homage to this documentary in memory of this extraordinary man who was so interested in the life of Van Gogh and who took so much care to honor the legacy of this artist.
Director: Stéphane Gauger
Cast : Leonard Nimoy, Jean-Michel Richaud