Right up there with the Mona Lisa, she is one of the centuries’ many curiosities and subject of endless fascination, Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” will be included in Sony Pictures Classics fall curriculum. After recently picking up Alex Gibney’s Lance Armstrong docu, they’ve now acquired the worldwide rights to Teller’s (of Penn & Teller fame) Tim’s Vermeer and as reported earlier this morning, the docu will be shown at TIFF and other fall fests before receiving a theatrical release next year.
Gist: This follows Tim Jenison, a Texas based inventor, as he attempts to solve one of the greatest mysteries in all of art: How did 17th century Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer (“Girl with a Pearl Earring”) manage to paint so photo-realistically, 150 years before the invention of photography? Jenison’s epic research project ultimately succeeds as he uses 17th century technology — lenses and mirrors — to develop a technique that might have been used by Vermeer, supporting a theory as extraordinary as what he discovers. Spanning a decade, Jenison’s adventure takes him to Delft, Holland, where Vermeer painted his masterpieces; on a pilgrimage to the North coast of Yorkshire to meet artist David Hockney; and eventually even to Buckingham Palace, to see the Queen’s Vermeer.
Worth Noting: Perhaps a worthy companion piece, Vermeer’s masterwork was the subject of Peter Webber’s 2003 title, Girl with a Pearl Earring starring Scarlett Johansson.
Do We Care?: With a TIFF showing locked, and SPC making a pre-fest buy, early interest indicates a potentially strong docu-offering – cinematographer Shane F. Kelly (A Scanner Darkly) is among the tech team.
