The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein

We saw both the English and French versions of this film last week (july 2005) at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Of course, Joyce Borenstein reveals her father's art to us in expert fashion, but one is particularly struck by the visual beauty of the photos -- still and otherwise -- of forests, birds, skies, and the whimsical, touching animation. The story of the aborted violin lesson -- told simply by animation with a voice-over -- will remain with me forever. I don't remember the 1992 Academy Award nomination. Was there no budget for publicity? Why hasn't this film been shown in New York area art houses? It's a gem. Would like to purchase a DVD or VHS version for our grandson.

Live action, stills, and animation combine to tell a remarkable story of an artist I'd never heard of. How many other fine artists go unrecognized in their lifetime like this? This biography was produced by his daughter.

His style was somewhat primitive, because he was mostly self taught. He seemed to be extremely prolific, often repainting the same scenery over and over, for many years. Many of his paintings are shown in the film, sometimes using animation to transition from the narrative into his paintings.

All his life, the only thing he wanted to be was a painter. His color palate seemed to be dominated by the use of strong colors, especially reds, blues and yellows. He worked in an impressionistic style.

By the 1960s, after 30 years of work, he finally started getting his work exhibited in major galleries

Currently available on the Kanopy service through Public Libraries.

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.

The Colours of My Father reaches the highest pinnacle of excellence, and is the most outstanding Captioned Media Program (CFV.org) video I have viewed and evaluated, to date. This video, which won an Academy Award nomination in 1992, is more than a portrait of Sam Borenstein. It also is his loving daughter's tribute to a gifted artist who, in turn, pays a tribute to living a high-quality life.

Sam Borenstein's heart was as generous and warm, as the bold and bright colors he used to paint his glowingly vivid images, thick layers of colors applied to a canvas with a trowel (which may, in itself, be a tribute to the fields of flowers he so ardently loved). Fortunately for those of who truly appreciate his great gifts, Sam Borenstein's legacy is his many works of art which still bud and blossom, tintillating and awakening the senses, and getting us to be aroused by the precious gift of life.

If obstacles get in our way, he encourages and empowers us to use the artistic and creative to not only reach for, but to actually realize our many dreams.

Borenstein's expression of art, and his own individual style which some critics deemed 'uncontrollable', serve as a way to effectively communicate with others. Although an artist must be disciplined, his timely works prove that there is a distinct difference between 'discipline' (practice provides a mastery of one's work) and 'control' (there is an insecurity involved in trying to manipulate everyone and everything). If a door of opportunity appears to be closed, Borenstein shows us that alternative measures may help us gain our rite of passage, rather than futilely attempting to be one against the universe (an impossible and overwhelming experience that only leads to anger, anxiety, depression, frustration, helplessness, and hopelessness). No-one is an island. Although there is a sense of accomplishment in completing some tasks on our own, we require the people and things around us (such as the beauty of nature) to do, or help us to complete, other tasks. As human beings, we cannot happily live life alone and, in appreciating the people and things around us, we learn to live our lives to the fullest and richest, rather than merely existing. And, in this way, we become more than survivors.

In the video, black-and-white and color stills, combined with live action, become a viable vehicle to capture timelapse changes (such as darkness, light, movement, and shadows) and to create very artistic and creative forms of animation (such as a violin creating waves of emotion). Here, Joyce Borenstein (like her father) is more than aptly able to share artistic gifts with us. The video is also rich in Jewish culture, as well in its inclusion of some significant demographical and historical events. There are some graphic depictions of the harsh life that Jewish people have traditionally experienced with gentiles, particularly noting events just prior to the atrocities of the Nazi war camps. Jewish people have a longstanding reputation for being hard workers. Characteristically, Borenstein worked 10 to 12 hours a day (in and out of a factory), he was poor (he once slept in a cemetery), and ate in a soup kitchen (where he established some lifelong relationships). Being in some bleak and formidable surroundings, Borenstein always managed to make the very best, out of the worst, of his situations and surroundings.

Sam Borenstein brilliantly integrated various art forms (such as reading about his subjects, using bold colors, and incorporating contextual music), specific to the particular settings in which he painted his vivid images and magical effects. There is positive energy, infused by spontaneity, honesty, truth, and integrity in all of his works. Particularly astounding was Borenstein's innate ability to create 'something' out of 'nothing', and turn the beauty he saw into classical art. He not only developed his own individual style, but was familiar with the eclectic styles of other painters (including Bercovich, Heimlich, Utrillo, and Van Gogh).

Borenstein was also gifted as a very delightful storyteller, and he created fascinating storylines to go along with the beauty, magic and music of his magnificent paintings. Art to Borenstein was, indeed, a magnificent obsession. His works display great enthusiasm and various moods, through composition and form, to brilliantly convey feelings ablaze in color. Borenstein used experience, and nature, as his guide. When painting a particular scene, it would evoke emotions in him and, sometimes, he would repetitively paint the same scene, over and over, as an effective way of conveying changes (such as changes of mood, the seasons, and the time of day). Along with his vivid images, he used very descriptive words in his storylines (such as breathing in the delicious smell of food, the city smelled of death, crossing fields filled with the scent of lilacs, and walking the streets in gray weather filled with a feeling of loneliness).

I particularly responded to Borenstein's astute comment that "too much sunlight washes out the color." Too much of any one thing is not desirable.

Last but certainly not least, Borenstein who did not have a formal education, makes a positive role model in empowerment and self-determination. By reading books, for example, he learned the English language--and how to make his way, as well as how to make a living, in Canada. Most importantly, Borenstein teaches us how to maintain a high quality of life, and being more than sole survivors. We are not alone. The beauty of nature is all around us, just for the asking and supporting us. We just have to reach out for it and touch it, just as nature--and people like Sam Borenstein--touches us.

Surprises are rare. It's even rarer to to be truly taken aback by both form and content. I live in Toronto and to my eternal embarrassment, I have not heard of the truly wondrous painter, the late Sam Borenstein of Montreal.

The film is about him and his juicy, rich, textured paintings. If you want to see a portrait of a passionate painter. If you wonder what passion means, see this flawless film.

The film was directed and written by Sam Borensteins daughter. The film oozes love for a man who only knew how to be a painter. The film creates a saintly portrait of an artist what didn't follow the conventional narrative 'artist as irresponsible lover/husband /father" . Instead he was loved by his family for his uncompromising dedications.

Heavenly treat