The Dolls of Lisbon

There's so much to like about this film. It's a travelogue of a group of artist/friends who seek out meaning, camaraderie and fun by using art.

It begins as an experiment by the founder of the antagonists art movement, Ethan Minsker and 100 dolls he built out of canvas. The dolls are sent to artists all around the world, collected, curated and shown in an exhibition in Lisbon Portugal.

The results are amazing and some of the dolls and their artists are featured in the narrative and their concepts are explored.

As interesting as this is, what's more interesting is the interplay and among the group of "antagonists " who went on the trip to Lisbon. Their different personalities, approaches, jokes and even disagreements are represented with equal measures of interest and nonjudgmental bents.

It's a gery enjoyable and educational piece which I recommend highly .

This fast paced documentary covers a lot of territory in a short time. The film includes great animation, stop-camera action and an original soundtrack. About 100 handmade dolls, with a blank canvas covering, were distributed to artists in New York, Portugal, Germany, France, Italy and Equator. Each artist made their doll into a unique piece of art, reflective of their individual artistic style and statement. The film interviews some of the artists in their studios, capturing their struggles and achievements. The artists then came together in Lisbon, Portugal to exhibit their art dolls in an international group show. The film was produced under the auspices of the Antagonist Movement, Inc., a collective of artists, filmmakers and writers based in New York City. It demonstrates what can be achieved by creative people committed to their art and their community of fellow artists. Inspirational and entertaining, this film should be watched by anyone who is an artist, wants to be an artist or simply loves art and good films. People who enjoyed Exit Through the Gift Shop or Style Wars will love this film.

While the documentary genre is among my favorite for films, a lot of art docs out there have failed to impress. This one, however, goes beyond just an art showcase; it has depth and direction. I found myself interested in the people behind the work, not just in the work itself. The film doesn't "glamourize" the art world either, like most others do. It shows the highs and lows of what it actually takes to pull together an art show and work with other artists. It makes you want to learn more about the other projects this group is involved with. The stylistic elements used and the way the film is shot are part of the art as well. The film gives you a real sense of how art exhibits come together, what artists go through and how they view the art world as a whole.

An impressive massive undertaking that spanned multiple countries. This group shed literal blood to show the world what it means to be an artist. Too many people care about the end result of the artistic process. With this movie The Antagonists show the viewer the complete opposite, the arduous journey.

This film is not about a flashy commercial artist's life like Andy Warhol. Instead it follow the not as glorious group of people that have to work and fight for all they have, which most of the time does not wield financial rewards but supplies something that money can't. I am truly envious of this groups trip.

As someone who loves both dolls and art, perhaps I am a little biased, but I think that this documentary definitely deserves more attention than it got. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys art documentaries. I had a natural affinity for the central motif of the film, the blank canvas dolls that were given to artists all over the world, and I enjoyed seeing how each artist brough the dolls to life in their own distinctive way. A major theme of Minsker's work is this idea of community and the importance of being there for people, and this documentary really exemplifies the power of artists supporting artists.