The Painter and the Thief: Sundance-winning documentary explores unlikely friendship

The documentary "The Painter and the Thief" (original title: "La pittrice e il ladro") by Norwegian director Benjamin Ree, which won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2020, will be released in Italian cinemas on November 2, 2021, distributed by Wanted Cinema. The film follows artist Barbora Kysilkova, who tracks down Karl-Bertil Nordland, one of the thieves who stole two of her paintings from the Nobel Gallery in Oslo in 2015. After the theft, only one of the two thieves appeared in court; both were sentenced to 75 days in prison. Intrigued by why her paintings were targeted, Barbora contacted Karl and eventually asked him to pose for a portrait, leading to an unexpected and deep friendship. The film documents their evolving relationship, including Barbora supporting Karl after a car accident left him requiring full-time care, even though her paintings were never recovered. The narrative takes a turn with the intervention of an unexpected character. Director Benjamin Ree, fascinated by art thieves, began researching online and discovered the story in 2015. He initially did not know how the story would unfold, relying on curiosity and fate. The film ultimately focuses not on the theft but on the complex, unusual friendship that developed.