Gustav Klimt - Der Geheimnisvolle

When Gustav Klimt was born into a poor Viennese family of artisans in 1862, Europe was about to undergo epochal changes. At that time, Vienna more than any other European city embodied the life of a cosy society, which considered art primarily as the realization of an innocent and harmless dream. The highly talented painter Klimt started his artistic career creating this harmless art, but later made his mark among other things as a cofounder of the Vienna Secession and vehemently resisted the commercialisation of art. In his documentary, Herbert Eisenschenk not only examines the colourful personality of Gustav Klimt, the historical artist, but also explores the tortuous paths of today's perception of his unique art. (official distributor synopsis)