F for Fake
F for Fake
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1h 28m
Directed by Orson Welles • 1975 • France, Iran, Germany
Trickery. Deceit. Magic. In F FOR FAKE, a free-form sort-of documentary by Orson Welles, the legendary filmmaker (and self-described charlatan) gleefully reengages with the central preoccupation of his career: the tenuous lines between illusion and truth, art and lies. Beginning with portraits of the world-renowned art forger Elmyr de Hory and his equally devious biographer, Clifford Irving, Welles embarks on a dizzying journey that simultaneously exposes and revels in fakery and fakers of all stripes, not the least of whom is Welles himself. Charming and inventive, F FOR FAKE is an inspired prank and a clever examination of the essential duplicity of cinema.
Up Next in F for Fake
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F FOR FAKE Commentary
Recorded in 2004 and 2005, this audio commentary features F FOR FAKE star and coauthor Oja Kodar and director of photography Gary Graver.
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Morgan Neville on F FOR FAKE
The documentary filmmaker on Orson Welles’s magic trick of an essay film
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Jonathan Lethem on F FOR FAKE