Documentary on Joseph Beuys Screens at Lo Schermo dell'Arte

Andres Veiel's documentary 'Beuys' (2017), which premiered in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, reconstructs the life of German artist Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) through previously unpublished audio, video, and interviews. The film spans Beuys's work as a sculptor, performer, shaman, theorist, and revolutionary artist, capturing the debates, resistance, and utopian climate in which he operated. In an interview with The Up Coming, Veiel emphasizes the contemporary relevance of Beuys's message: 'Beuys said, as is often reported, 'everyone is an artist.' He didn't mean that everyone is a sculptor, painter, or composer. He meant that each of us is capable of influencing social processes, giving them form. The idea is not to build walls, not to be influenced by fear, but instead to try to build a decision-making process; we are all capable of doing this, and it is a great message especially in our historical moment.' The film is part of the Lo Schermo dell'Arte festival program and will be screened at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence on November 16 at 10 PM, with the director in attendance.