BELTRACCHI - DIE KUNST DER FÄLSCHUNG | Germany (2013), 90 min. German and French with English Subtitles. Director: Arne Birkenstock | This mesmerizing, thought-provoking, and amusing documentary focuses on the life and times of Wolfgang Beltracchi and his wife Helene, who for nearly four decades, fooled the international art world and were responsible for the biggest art forgery scandal of the postwar era. An expert in art history, theory and painting techniques, Beltracchi created original works in the style of such masters as Max Ernst, Heinrich Campendonk, and Max Pechstein, to not only fill in the gaps in the oeuvres of these great artists, but the gaps within the art market itself. Curators and art dealers alike were fooled by these “lost masterpieces” until a simple mistake led to the Beltracchis’ arrest and the exposure of his forgeries. As Beltracchi and his wife recount their extraordinary story with humor and candor, some profound questions arise: What makes a piece of art an original? And what makes a person an expert?
