Gottfried Helnwein & The Dreaming Child

“The world is a haunted house and Helnwein is our tour guide through it” — Sean Penn Gottfried Helnwein & The Dreaming Child” is a wonderful look at the titular Austrian photorealist painter. It is both a visual feast and landmark union of artistic titans Hanoch Levin and Gottfried Helnwein, both concerned with the theme of childhood innocence betrayed. When Israeli Opera decided to produce a new operatic version of Levin’s play “The Dreaming Child”, Helnwein was the obvious choice to design it. They knew only one visual artist would be right for their production. As Omri Nitzan says in the film, “[Helnwein] is the twin brother of Hanoch Levin.” Director and Producer Lisa Kirk Colburn managed to get the permission to film the staging proceedings and the results. We look behind the scenes at the creative process, Helnwein’s artwork and installations and learn more about where his ideas come from.