I teach a Frida Collage workshop with fellow artist Edward Martin. Last week one of our students was sharing about the documentary he had just viewed - Frida. As soon as I got home, I poured myself a glass of wine and streamed it.
This documentary takes a deeper look at the Mexican artist. It is directed by Carla Gutierrez and is built around Kahlo's own words from her diaries, letters, essays and interviews, giving it a first person feel.
Kahlo was a complex woman. Her life held tremendous physical pain, romantic chaos, political commitment, and artistic ambition. The documentary does not flatten her into a Mexican symbol. Her tragedies are not treated as dramatic episodes in her life but more as the material which Kahlo built her identity and art.
The visuals are rich and compelling, using a mix of archival footage, animation and Frida's own writings to bring her paintings and story to life. It reminds us that Frida is unforgettable because she was totally herself. She did not just paint images. She painted her reality.
Although I loved the Frida movie starring Salma Hayek, this documentary took me to a deeper understanding of Frida and her art.
Frida premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and is available on Amazon's Prime Video.