Documentary
Granted exclusive access to hundreds of private drawings and paintings by Orson Welles (Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, The Lady from Shanghai), award-winning filmmaker Mark Cousins dives into the visual world of the legendary actor, director, writer and producer, a master of theatre, radio and film, to create a portrait of the fascinatingly versatile and prolific artist as he’s never been seen before – through his own eyes, sketched with his own hand, painted with his own brush.
Welles trained as an artist before moving to film and continued to draw and paint throughout his career – whether character sketches, storyboards, set designs or pictures of people and places that inspired him. A sketchbook of his life, most of these artworks have never been seen outside his family and close friends.
For the first time, Cousins is able to explore this treasure trove of imagery and make a film about what he finds there: the story of Welles’ extraordinary visual creativity and process, never before told. Executive produced by Michael Moore and screened in Cannes Classic this year, The Eyes of Orson Welles brings vividly to life the passions, politics and power of this brilliant 20th-century showman and explores how the genius of Welles still resonates today in the age of Trump, more than 30 years after his death.
