This intensely compelling film on Lucian Freud reveals the life and work of a modern master though a unique exhibition of his self portraits at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. Freud made self portraits the whole of his life, which intersected his controversial private life and reflected his shifting relationship with paint. His intense and unflinching gaze has produced a body of powerful, figurative works that places him in the forefront of great British painting. This film journeys through this landmark exhibition in which Freud turns his critical eye firmly on himself. Notoriety followed the grandson of Sigmund Freud, but as a key figure in London’s radical post-war art scene, his work reveals a great story to be enjoyed on the big screen across all leading chains and independent cinemas nationwide from 14th January 2020. Rarely seen together, now audiences far and wide can have a front row seat to view Freud’s powerful and intimate self portraits - without the crowds.

In collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Royal Academy’s extraordinary exhibition will display more than 50 paintings, prints and drawings spanning nearly seven decades of Freud’s self-portraiture, bought together for the first time in history. They give a fascinating insight into both his psyche and his development as a painter, from his earliest portrait painted in 1939 to the final one executed 64 years later. When seen together, his portraits represent an engrossing study into the dynamic of ageing and the process of self-representation. This remarkable film is a must-see for anyone interested in discovering more about the man behind the some of the most talked about portraits in modern art history.

Music by Asa Bennett
Written by David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky
Narrator - David Rintoul

Contributors
David Austen, David Dawson, William Feaver, Martin Gayford, James Hall, Catherine Lampert, Tim Marlow,
Liz Rideal, Jasper Sharp, Sebastian Smee, Andrea Tarsia and Anita Taylor.