Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait

Julian Schnabel, A Private Portrait is a vivid chronicle of the colorful personal life and public career of the celebrated painter and filmmaker. The film details the Brooklyn-born Schnabel’s formative years in Texas, the beginning of his professional career in New York City in the late ’70s, his rise to superstar status in the ’80s Manhattan art scene, and his move into filmmaking with 1995’s Basquiat followed by Before Night Falls and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. With a kaleidoscopic blend of material from Schnabel’s personal archives, newly shot footage of the artist at work and play, and commentary from friends, family, and artists, including Al Pacino, Mary Boone, Jeff Koons, and Laurie Anderson-not to mention Schnabel himself-Italian filmmaker Pappi Corsicato creates a fascinating portrait of one of the modern art world’s true mavericks. You can watch this documentary on Netflix.