Max Beckmann – Departure (Max Beckmann - Der Maler)

Director: Michael Trabitzsch, 93 min., colour, 2013

A fascinating documentary about the life and work of one of the greatest painters of the 20th century, Max Beckmann (1884-1950). His enigmatic paintings, which are typical representations of his life in the period between the two wars when he moved between Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and finally, New York, are the focus of the film. His large triptychs, found in museums all over the world, are knowledgeably decrypted by international art historians, but also through Beckmann’s own words, which are found in his letters and diaries. ​