This documentary covers the unconventional life and artistic legacy of Frida Kahlo, the iconic Mexican painter best known for her self-portraits. Using her own words, drawn from her diary, letters, essays, and print interviews, director Carlos Gutierrez takes us inside her mind and soul. Kahlo’s paintings, self-portraits, and journal illustrations are animated, thanks to a team of Mexican women.
We learn of a near-fatal bus accident when she was a student that left her with severe pain for her whole life. We see pictures and hear her own thoughts on her two marriages to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. We follow her to New York with Diego and see how she supported him, despite his infidelities. Frida herself enjoyed sexual relationships with both men and women.
What is striking and memorable about this film is its use of Frida’s own paintings, especially her colorful self-portraits, to tell her story. Over time, they serve as windows into her experience of the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. Raw and fearless, they often depict her suffering and anguish. Each painting reveals her inventiveness, using vibrant colors and symbolism from Mexican culture.
Frida Kahlo’s art invites us to look into ourselves with honesty, as she did. She was complex. How many personas do we have? She was fearless. Are we? She was committed to self-expression. How free do we feel to express ourselves?