Trailer for The Beksinskis. A Sound and Picture Album.
Famed Polish painter, photographer and sculptor Zdzislaw Beksinski’s work depicted dark and sinister spaces, in a style he called “dystopian surrealism.” As art imitates life, the menacing world of his own work seeped into his personal life and into the complicated relationship he held with his son, Tomasz, and his wife. Tomasz grew up under this oppressive shadow, but attempted to find his own way in the world, becoming a popular radio presenter and music journalist in Poland. But he couldn’t evade his father’s shadowy presence, as he struggled with severe depression and multiple suicide attempts. Zdzislaw chose to document his family through video and audio recording as their lives spiraled into chaos, which director Marcin Borchardt has masterfully pieced together to retell a tragic family story that captures the unsettling side of human consciousness.