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  • Jan Cox, a Painter's Odyssey (1988)
  • Documentary, Biography
Jan Cox, a Painter's Odyssey (1988)
Documentary, Biography

"Biographical film about the life and work of the Belgian painter Jan Cox. Cox had a tempestuous youth, during which he co-founded the Jeune Peinture Belge group and worked on the fringes of the Cobra movement. In 1956 he left for America,...See more"Biographical film about the life and work of the Belgian painter Jan Cox. Cox had a tempestuous youth, during which he co-founded the Jeune Peinture Belge group and worked on the fringes of the Cobra movement. In 1956 he left for America, where he lived for the next 18 years. There he was recognized as an inspired painter and teacher, but he returned disillusioned following a failed marriage, financial problems and an emergent alcoholism. He finally committed suicide in 1980. The directors incorporate archive material, canvasses, photos, reminiscences and writings into their film, built up as an odyssey in 24 cantos, each with its own style. They paint an intriguing picture both of Cox's artistic drive and the tragic dualism between dream and reality that tore at his personality and would eventually lead to self-destruction. In this context, Cox's paintings are used to reflect the events presented or alluded to by the film. The 24 cantos are subdivided in accordance with the three phases in Cox's life: 1919-1949 (Telemacheia), 1949-1969 (Odysseia) and 1969-1980 (Nostos). On its release, the film garnered much praise, not merely for its intricate construction which took it beyond the bounds of a conventional documentary, but also because it so successfully evoked the spirit of Cox." Written by Michel Apers, Belgian Cinema, Royal Belgian Film Archive, Brussels See less
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39 cast members
Name Known for
Jeroen Krabbé
Narrator (voice) Narrator (voice)   See fewer
Bart Bergen
Actor (voice) Actor (voice)   See fewer
David Bergen
Jan Cox as a boy Jan Cox as a boy   See fewer
Lucien Boussé
Actor (voice) Actor (voice)   See fewer
Jan Cox
Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage)   See fewer
Augusta De Vos
Woman in hospital Woman in hospital   See fewer
Hilde Lambrechts
Mother of Jan Cox Mother of Jan Cox   See fewer
Stephen Lundvall
Actor (voice) Actor (voice)   See fewer
Ann Papoulis
Actress (voice) Actress (voice)   See fewer
Peter Proost
Jan Cox as a young man Jan Cox as a young man   See fewer
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