The Painter and the Thief: An Unlikely Friendship on Sky Arte

The documentary film "La pittrice e il ladro" (The Painter and the Thief) by Norwegian director Benjamin Ree will air on Sky Arte on Sunday, November 26, in prime time. The film tells the true story of Barbora, a painter who tracks down Karl, one of the thieves who stole two of her paintings from the Nobel Gallery in Oslo. After finding him, she invites him to pose for a portrait, leading to an improbable and inextricable friendship. The equilibrium is disrupted by an unexpected character. Ree began his research in 2015, searching online for famous art thieves and eventually discovering the case of the Nobel Gallery theft. The thieves were caught and sentenced to 75 days in prison, but only one appeared in court. The film took nearly three years to complete. It won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2020 and Best Documentary at the London Film Festival 2020.