HELMUT NEWTON: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
2020 - GERMANY - COLOUR - ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN (WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES)
A FILM BY GERO VON BOEHM
FEATURING: GRACE JONES, SYLVIA GOBBEL, ISABELLA ROSSELLINI, ANNA WINTOUR, NADJA AUERMANN, PHYLLIS POSNICK, CHARLOTTE RAMPLING, MARIANNE FAITHFULL, CLAUDIA SCHIFFER, HANNA SCHYGULLA, CARLA SOZZANI, ARJA TOYRYLA
Women were clearly at the core of legendary photographer Helmut Newton’s work. The stars of his iconic portraits and fashion editorials – from Catherine Deneuve to Grace Jones, Charlotte Rampling to Isabella Rossellini – finally give their own interpretation of the life and work of this controversial genius. A portrait by the portrayed. Provocative, unconventional, subversive, his depiction of women still sparks the question: were they subjects or objects?
“a rousing tribute to erotic photo legend Helmut Newton, and it doesn’t skip his glitzy death” - Toronto Star
“No matter what your final judgment, Newton led a life that was never boring, artfully reflecting through his lens some of the biggest shifts and zeitgeists in the world. He’s a funny, likable, self-effacing guy in the archival clips here—even if, underneath, “he’s a little bit pervert”.” - Georgia Straight
“ Newton brought provocation into the world of fashion photography, and that was a needed revolution” - Vancouver Sun (An interview with director Gero von Boehm)
“With its engagingly lively pace, this film is as vivid and highly charged as Newton’s work itself. Persuasive without being overly earnest, Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful makes it hard to hate an artist who is spoken of with such affection by the likes of Grace Jones, Isabella Rossellini, Charlotte Rampling, Marianne Faithfull, and Claudia Schiffer.” - That Shelf
“"Where do Helmut Newton's hyper-erotic photography and his ruminations on power fit into our new world?" - FStoppers