The Painter and the Thief

If this were a fiction film it would surely be dismissed as totally unbelievable; since it's not, this portrait of two totally fascinating characters proves to be as riveting as any thriller.

The Painter and the Thief is a superb Norwegian documentary about a painter who befriended the criminal who stole two of her paintings. He then became her muse.

A true-crime tale reconfigured into a unique relationship saga, replete with twists, turns, heartbreak, failure and redemption that's as surprising as it is well-earned.

Benjamin Ree's extraordinary documentary feels like a movie - there's a heist, villains who are not what they seem, scenes of striking intimacy and some fabulous twists.

Fascinating, confounding and continually surprising...

A beautiful story about extraordinary compassion.

The Painter and the Thief is a rare example of real-life experience with all the ups and downs, emotional highs and lows, and unexpected plot twists of the most manipulative of fictional narratives.

The Painter and the Thief captures moments of love, redemption, hope, and ultimately, the exultant power of forgiveness.

A depiction of raw honesty...

A story of forgiveness over judgement, The Painter and The Thief is a satisfying journey capped by a surprising turn of events in the final moments. It demands that you look at familiar subjects in a different way, and comes away all the richer for it.