film
FindingHer Voice Montclair ’ s Carla Gutierrez honors Frida Kahlo in directorial debut WRITTEN BY RICARDOKAULESSAR
GUTIERREZ : PROVIDED BY LISA GUILLARD ; FILM : PROVIDED BY AMAZON PICTURES ; OPPOSITE PAGE : DANIEL LEAL / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Carla Gutierrez started working onher documentary about famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo three years ago when she noticed that although there are other documentaries about Kahlo , she wanted tomake one that would “ focus on her voice .”
“ Sometimes they quoted her , but in this film , it ’ s her words that really carry the story ,” Guiterrez says . “ I felt like there was away that Ipersonally wanted to hear from Frida .”
Three years later , the Montclairbased filmmaker ’ sdirectorial debut , Frida , isshowing on Amazon Prime .
The 87-minute documentary , which debuted atthe Sundance Film Festival in January and won the festival ’ s U . S . Documentary Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award , uses the painter ’ s own words ( narrated inSpanish ) from archived writings and interviews , along with animation ofher paintings and footage of Kahlo ather home in Mexico City , tobring her to life for the viewer .
The documentary captures pivotal moments of Kahlo ’ slife , such as the three years she spent in the United States in the 1930s with her husband , noted muralist Diego Rivera , their difficult marriage , and the physical pain she suffered asaresult ofabus accident . And it shows her body ofwork , including her many self-portraits that reflected her interests inthe folk art of her native Mexico aswell assurrealism , Renaissance artists and European avant-gardists .
AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY ( Top ) Carla Gutierrez ’ s Frida made its Montclair debut at The Clairidge in March and is currently streaming onAmazon Prime . ( Below ) Astill from the film shows Frida Kahlo laying in the grass .( Opposite page ) “ Selfportrait with Necklace ” byFrida Kahlo , 1933 , is displayed during anexhibition atthe Victoria and Albert ( V & A ) Museum inWest London .
@ montclairmagazine MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE MAY 2024
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