Beltracchi: The Art of ForgeryBeltracchi: The Art of Forgery

A documentary portrait of art forger Wolfgang Beltracchi and his wife Helene, who together deceived the art world with forged paintings and invented provenances.

Arne Birkenstock's documentary Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery portrays Wolfgang Beltracchi and his wife Helene. Wolfgang Beltracchi, who appears as himself, worked for some forty years as a painter and art forger; he filled gaps in the development of major artists with paintings of his own. Helene Beltracchi, also seen as herself, handled the business side and brought the works onto the art market as “lost originals.” Together, the couple deceived gallery owners, collectors, art dealers and experts around the world. The film shows how Beltracchi made his forgeries and how the invented collection Jägers provided false provenance. Victims and opponents also have their say, including the Belgian collector couple Ommeslaghe, British art dealer James Roundell, Henrik Hanstein of Cologne auction house Lempertz, Geneva gallery owner Sofia Komarowa and investigating officer René Allonge.

Story written by Evenitto from TMDB, Wikipedia and the cinemas' notes