What lies hidden behind the imposing coloured planes in Mark Rothko’s paintings? Filmmaker Marjoleine Boonstra wanders through the life and work of the artist and visualizes his sources of inspiration in an attempt to bring the artist closer to us.

With Christopher Rothko, Mark Rothko’s son, who reads quotes from his father’s writings; Annie Cohen-Solal, Rothko’s biographer; Franz Kaiser, curator of the Rothko exhibition in the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague; and Carol Mancusi-Ungaro, a conservation specialist on Rothko.

Year: 2014
Director, script and photography: Marjoleine Boonstra
Research, script and production: Lies Janssen
Camera and visualizations: Reinier van Brummelen
Sound: Kees de Groot
Editor: Menno Boerema
Music: Harry de Wit
Soundscape: Marc Lizier
Broadcaster: AVROTROS, Marijke Huijbregts

© AVROTROS, Aperta, Boonstra Foto & Film

This documentary is supported by the
Dutch Cultural Mediafund