Young Josephine studies painting, and after sketching a skillful portrait in the style of Vincent van Gogh, his model commissions another similar work, which he then sells, passing it as a genuine early van Gogh. Josephine embarks on a journey to Europe to catch the treacherous art dealer and ends up in the adventure of a lifetime, finally leading her all the way to 19th century Arles to meet her idol and to bring the incredulous artist the news of his future fame in the most touching scene of this Canadian young people’s film.
Born in Australia but having made his career in Canada, Michael Rubbo (b. 1938) is known on the one hand for his innovative experimental short documentaries for the National Film Board, but also for his cult favourite children’s films (cf. The Peanut Butter Solution, 1985). The all-ages fantasy adventure Vincent and Me was theatrically released also in Finland by the Oulu Film Centre association, and that very same subtitled print from 35 years ago is now being projected again in the family screening of our van Gogh series. The philosophizing about the nature of time, central to the film (as well as the series as a whole), is augmented by a small curious cameo from Jeanne Calment, born in Arles in 1875 and still officially the longest-surviving human in the history of the world, who went on to live for another seven years after the film came out, reaching the age of 122. (HT Nuotio)
Language: English, subtitles: Finnish