The world would indeed be poorer without the art treasures from Impressionist masters like Manet, Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Renoir and Pissarro, and we have one man to thank for that: 19th-century Parisian art collector Paul Durand-Ruel - and it was his continual support, championing, financial backing and refusal to give up that established one of the most loved and recognisable movements in Western art: Impressionism.
Based on the Inventing Impressionism exhibition, which recently opened at the National Gallery London (in collaboration with the Musée du Luxembourg, Musée d'Orsay and Philadelphia Museum of Art), The Impressionists - and the Man Who Made Them charts Durand-Ruel's relationship with some of today's most loved artists, including Manet, Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Renoir and Pissarro.
His determination to support them in the unforgiving environment of 19th-century Paris never faltered, even through the Franco-Prussian War, and alongside dealing with the blows of his own personal life: losing his wife and having to care for their five children.
From the artists' early struggles to be accepted at the Salon, to the widespread ridicule and derision that followed when their work was first exhibited in Paris, to his brave decision to exhibit these revolutionary and radical new artists in America, the film follows Durand-Ruel's extraordinary story that finally brought The Impressionists the worldwide respect that they sought - and that changed the art world for ever.
Alongside the opportunity to view some of the Impressionists' most famous works up close and in high definition on the big screen, the film also offers diary extracts and insights from Durand-Ruel (voiced by Robert Lindsay) and the artists, in their own words.
The film ventures behind the scenes as the galleries prepare for one of their biggest exhibitions of the year. Cinema audiences will enjoy exclusive access to the curators as they talk about the paintings included in the exhibition, and make crucial decisions about where and how to hang this remarkable collection of art.
It features interviews with some of the most important authorities on the Impressionists, including curators Anne Distel, Sylvie Patry (Musee D'Orsay), Chris Riopelle (National Gallery) and Jennifer Thompson (Philadelphia Museum of Art).
Voices in the film also include Rachel Campbell-Johnson (The Times), Philip Hook (Director of Sotheby's and author of The Ultimate Trophy), as well as personal insights from Paul Durand-Ruel's ancestors, his great grandson Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and great-great-granddaughter, Flavie Durand-Ruel.
Some of the featured paintings in the film include: Eugene Delacroix's Interior of Dominican Covent in Madrid, Berthe Morisot's Hanging the Laundry out to Dry, Claude Monet's Poplars and Pleasure Boats, Camille Passarro's The Avenue, Sydenham and Entrance to the Village of Voisins, and Alfred Sisley's L'Ile Saint-Denis.
Seventh Art Productions' director and producer, Phil Grabsky, said: "There is always a danger of thinking we know everything we need to know about the Impressionists, but that is the very reason it is so exciting to take a fresh look at these revolutionary artists. I am thrilled to have made this film that, through the remarkable story of Paul Durand-Ruel - the man who made the Impressionists what they are - we can bring an exciting, revealing and powerful new perspective of the world's favourite artists to an international audience."
Cinema Nouveau and Exhibition on Screen offer local audiences the unique opportunity to visit, from the comfort of their cinema seats, this must-see exhibition and unique behind-the-scene features that uncover the many famous works of The Impressionists.
Other films in the season have included Matisse from Tate Modern and MOMA, Rembrandt from the National Gallery London and the Rijksmueum Amsterdam, Girl with a Pearl Earring and other treasures from the Mauritshuis in The Hague and Vincent Van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing.
Filmed exclusively for cinema at the exhibitions and on location, this groundbreaking series gives art lovers across the world front-row seats to enjoy, marvel at and delight in the amazing works of some of history's foremost painters on the cinema screen, with the clarity of stunning high definition and digital projection.
The Impressionists - and the Man Who Made Them releases on South African screens on Saturday, 30 May 2015, for four screenings only: on 30 May, 3 and 4 June at 7.30pm and on 31 May at 2.30pm - at Cinema Nouveau theatres in Jo'burg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town.
For more information and to make bookings, go to www.cinemanouveau.co.za or sterkinekor.mobi. Download the Ster-Kinekor App on any Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone or Blackberry smartphone for updates, news and to book. Follow on Twitter @nouveaubuzz and on Facebook at Cinema Nouveau. For queries, call Ticketline on 0861-Movies (668 437).
For more art, theatre and opera on the big screen, go to www.writingstudio.co.za
