"There Are No Fakes" is a shocking and revealing film that will have you pinned to your seat for two hours.
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In this documentary, a painting, apparently the work of an iconic Native artist, leads a musician who buys it into the tragic, brutal world of an art forgery ring in Canada.
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From it's opening moments, "There Are No Fakes" dives into an underground world of art forgery that is filled with twists and turns. Director Jamie Kastner's approach to his documentary is like a heist-like thriller, which enthrals you throughout. A superb and fascinating look at the biggest Canadian art fraud in history.
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Be sure to see this film.
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12 Reviews
Love a good documentary....
psmith7435-116-73102828 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
And this one certainly qualifies. What starts off as a story filled with art world intrigue and drama, veers off into a much darker and disturbing story of drugs, cultural appropriation, and possibly murder. Would have loved to know more about the artist and how his work came to be so beloved, before he drifted off into drugs and a downward spiral. It feels like two movies that were edited into one. Still, for anyone with an appreciation for Indigenous art, or a good mystery, i recommend this movie.
Of art and crime
SkullScreamerReturns17 June 2020
This is an interesting documentary film that I happened to see on tv. I wasn't previously familiar with Norval Morrisseau - though I got a feeling that I might have seen his art somewhere before.
At first I was a bit confused where is the film going and how are all these people connected to the big picture but later it started to become more clear. More than the original art itself the film focuses on crimes that some people close to the artist committed. The makers of the film have done very thorough job in interviewing a lot of different people and collected a lot of clues to put together the difficult puzzle where a lot of lies and half-truths are against each other. The ending is left a bit open but everyone can then form their own opinion.
Recommended for fans of art, and generally anyone who likes crime-solving and truth-seeking kind of films.
At first I was a bit confused where is the film going and how are all these people connected to the big picture but later it started to become more clear. More than the original art itself the film focuses on crimes that some people close to the artist committed. The makers of the film have done very thorough job in interviewing a lot of different people and collected a lot of clues to put together the difficult puzzle where a lot of lies and half-truths are against each other. The ending is left a bit open but everyone can then form their own opinion.
Recommended for fans of art, and generally anyone who likes crime-solving and truth-seeking kind of films.
Really worth watching
LauraAnnG16 August 2020
More of a TV Level Production
pedalingted16 April 2020
A great story well told
barry-jessiman19 August 2019
I actually went to this movie by accident, getting my dates mixed up. A seemingly small story about forgery in the art world (what else is new) but one that focuses on a renowned indigenous artist who emerged from the morass of a difficult early life to produce some of the finest art of its kind, but then fell back and was seemingly taken advantage of by several small but unscrupulous characters. A great story by itself, but the emergence half way through of another person's story made this a riveting documentary. I can't recommend this enough, and was glad I couldn't read the rep theatre schedule properly.
Better than the Court of Appeal
WatchedAfew23 July 2019
The authenticity of Norval Morrisseau paintings represents one of the sad chapters in the exploitation of Canadian aboriginals. The documentary exposes the methods the forgery ring employed to saturate the market. The film is balanced given the trial judge' finding that forged paintings existed. I particularly appreciated the evidence of the aboriginal witnesses in Thunder Bay.
The last word(s) will come from the Ontario Court of Appeal so the film should be revised at some point.
The last word(s) will come from the Ontario Court of Appeal so the film should be revised at some point.
Who knew??!!
amazon-9116824 July 2020
This was fascinating look at an intersection between high art culture, the art marketplace, indigenous culture, and the messiness of real human existence. It's sordid & gripping. Lessons learned: only buy art from the artist, if you're at all concerned about authenticity; the value of art and artists is completely arbitrary; people can be greedy.
Great doc
timoryhanenart25 September 2020
Somewhat Interesting Documentary
yowilwasup5 August 2020
Not a particularly fascinating documentary. Fairly obvious who the bad actors in this story. A story of greed and simple people being taken advantage of. Art work (childlike) is forged and sold to a gullible Canadian public. Some at ridiculous prices. Oddly, not a single forensic examination of any of the art is shown or discussed.
10/10
weeboy-5823827 October 2021
Could have been more respectful to Indigenous Peoples
japollo9118 February 2021
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