Oftentimes, documentaries stand too far away from their subjects so the degrees of separation that come with time aren’t always a negative for the subgenre, but there’s no denying the magic that comes with a first-hand approach. “Frida,” the new documentary by Carla Gutierrez playing in competition at Sundance, proves that the right proximity to the subject can yield magical and exciting results when exploring someone’s real-life story.
“Frida” is a beautifully visceral account of the life and soul of the legendary surrealist artist Frida Kahlo. Using only archival footage, photos, and writings—with a through-line of the narrative directly from Kahlo’s own verse and the voices of those who loved her—the documentary crafts a truly full picture of the painter’s journey, weaving her paintings into the hallmarks of her life.
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