| In 1990, in the early morning hours
after St. Patrick’s Day, thieves disguised as Boston police
officers gained access to Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner
museum and successfully perpetrated the largest art heist in modern
history. Among the thirteen priceless paintings stolen were works
by Rembrandt, Degas and Manet. But none is more sorely missed than
The Concert by Johannes Vermeer, one of only 35 surviving
works by the beloved Dutch master. For those who loved these paintings,
particularly the rare Vermeer, the theft felt almost personal.
At the heart of the film is a very unlikely hero: Harold Smith,
the most renowned art detective in the world. Despite his lifetime
battle with skin cancer, the cunning and witty Smith has made this
case his personal obsession. Now, with Dreyfus’s camera in
tow, Smith embarks on a final journey to crack a mystery that has
confounded law enforcement officials for fifteen years.
The mood is set through the reading by actors Blythe Danner and
Campbell Scott of correspondence between the 19th century Grand
Dame Isabella Stewart Gardner and her envoy to Europe, art aficionado
Bernard Berenson. Their passion for great art, expressed in letters
written during their pursuit of paintings for Gardner’s great
museum, is elaborated by contemporary art historians. Among them,
Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring, helps
us understand the power and fragility of great art and appreciate
just what the world has lost.
Harold Smith’s quest to recover the Gardner paintings takes
him through the Boston criminal underground. It takes him to Ireland
to investigate the theory that the Irish Republican Army, known
to have a penchant for stealing Vermeers, may be involved. It takes
him on wild goose chases, and precipitously close to the truth.
STOLEN takes the audience along on this thrilling journey
through the worlds of art and crime, not only to solve a perplexing
mystery, but also to understand the mysterious importance of art
and beauty.
To see images of the missing paintings, see www.find-the-art.com.
" ***1/2 All-consuming.[with].unexpected
dimensions of tonal, emotional, and psychological depth. A chilling
success!" – Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
“A treasure trove of outrageous characters,
rampant speculation, personal obsessions and a glimpse into the
rarefied world of art collecting.” – Kirk Honeycutt,
Hollywood Reporter
"You can't make this stuff up... Rebecca
Dreyfus' crackerjack documentary STOLEN plays like an edge-of-your-seat
narrative." – City, Rochester's Alternative Weekly
“Dreyfus works magic. Should appeal
not just to the legion of Vermeer fans, but to lovers of good mystery.”
– John Anderson, Variety
“Fascinating.” –
Johnny Leahan, Indiewire
"A fascinating look at a compelling Boston-based
mystery."
– James Verniere. Boston Herald
"This globe-trotting intrigue has the
makings of a splendid thriller."
– Nathan Lee, New York Times
"Keeps us tantalized. Harold Smith is
utterly compelling." – Jay Carr, AM New York
AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
Sarasota International Film Festival
BEST
DOCUMENTARY FILM & BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
New
York/Avignon Film Festival
Los
Angeles Film Festival
Montreal
World Film Festival, Canada
Deauville
Festival of American Film, France
Athens
Film Festival, Greece
The
Independent Film Festival of Boston
Newport
International Film Festival
Nantucket
Film Festival
Sao
Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil
|
