X
  • 2011
  • PG
  • 1 h 20 m
  • 2011
  • PG
  • 1 h 20 m
The Desert of Forbidden Art

Summary How does art survive in a time of oppression? During the Soviet rule artists who stay true to their vision are executed, sent to mental hospitals or Gulags. Their plight inspires young Igor Savitsky. He pretends to buy state-approved art but instead daringly rescues 40,000 forbidden fellow artist's works and creates a museum in the dese...

Directed By: Tchavdar Georgiev, Amanda Pope

Written By: Amanda Pope, Tchavdar Georgiev

  • 2011
  • PG
  • 1 h 20 m
  • 2011
  • PG
  • 1 h 20 m

The Desert of Forbidden Art

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
75
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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Summary How does art survive in a time of oppression? During the Soviet rule artists who stay true to their vision are executed, sent to mental hospitals or Gulags. Their plight inspires young Igor Savitsky. He pretends to buy state-approved art but instead daringly rescues 40,000 forbidden fellow artist's works and creates a museum in the dese...

Directed By: Tchavdar Georgiev, Amanda Pope

Written By: Amanda Pope, Tchavdar Georgiev

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
75
78% Positive
7 Reviews
22% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
75
78% Positive
7 Reviews
22% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
90
Mar 17, 2011
Tells a tale that is stranger than fiction several times over. Viewers of this remarkable documentary will be astonished at not only what this art looks like and why it's forbidden, but also where it is and how it got there.
By Kenneth Turan FULL REVIEW
90
Mar 8, 2011
It's a must-see for anyone interested in art.
By Ernest Hardy FULL REVIEW
80
Mar 7, 2011
Absorbing documentary is a natural for artscasters.
By Dennis Harvey FULL REVIEW
75
Mar 7, 2011
Does an admirable job of telling the stories of the obsessive Savitsky and other important Soviet artists, such as Alexander Volkov, Aleksei Rybnikov and Mikhail Kurzin.
FULL REVIEW
75
Mar 7, 2011
In The Desert of Forbidden Art, documentarians Amanda Pope and Tchavdar Georgiev offer some background on the late Savitsky, a painter who initially collected ethnic folk art quashed by the Stalin regime.
By Tom Russo FULL REVIEW
60
Mar 8, 2011
As brought to life in the stentorian tones of Ben Kingsley, the curator comes off like a driven visionary, but his actual efforts aren't dramatized enough. The paintings speak more articulately: doomy, dank colors and oppressive shapes.
By Joshua Rothkopf FULL REVIEW
50
Mar 11, 2011
Sadly, with the Soviet Union gone, the art faces a new enemy: Islamic extremists.
By V.A. Musetto FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Release Date Mar 11, 2011
Duration 1 h 20 m
Rating PG
Genres
Website http://desertofforbiddenart.com/
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Awards

News & Documentary Emmy Awards
• 2 Nominations
Palm Beach International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
CINE Competition
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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