The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein

It starts off rather like an exhibition in a museum, this documentary. Narrated by his daughter, Joyce, we are introduced to the early works of this acclaimed Canadian artist whilst learning of his upbringing in a post-depression society where it was very hard for a single man to get a job, and where he frequently went to a soup kitchen for his victuals. He never lost his love of drawing and painting, though, and as his story progresses we see more of the man's innovative and distinctive style of work emerge as he continues to struggle to find employment to sustain himself and his family. It's not the best chronology - indeed the narration is maybe just a bit too close to the subject matter to offer us much objectivity about this man or his priorities. Still, as we do learn more about Borenstein and see his skills demonstrated on-screen, this provides us with an engaging story of dedication and inspiration that could probably apply to many a jobbing artist desperate to succeed in an hostile commercial and critical environment with real-life pressures mounting all the time. Worth a watch, but not great.

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A glimpse of the life and work of painter Sam Borenstein.

Sam Borenstein in The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein (1992)

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Les couleurs de mon père: Un portrait de Sam Borenstein

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