Aris Kalaizis

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/872290412

schmidtFilm accompanies Aris Kalaizis, Leipzig painter with Greek roots for a portrait for MDR and ARD Mediathek. We look into the studio and not only present an extraordinary work, but also travel with Kalaizis to Greece and tell the dramatic escape story of his parents, who ended up in the GDR as children. How did this story shape the painter, who often felt alienated in the GDR? What influenced his style, for the New York art historian Carol Strickland coined the term Sotorealism. What makes Kalaizis paintings so distinctive? We meet Carol Strickland in New York, see Kalaizis paintings in exhibitions in Berlin and Thalheim near Wels. Why does Christian Berkel participate in Kalaizis picture productions and what does the Minister of Finance Christian Lindner have to do with Kalaizis' art?