HOW DARK MY LOVE

Controversial painter Joe Coleman, known for his intricate portraits of serial killers and outlaws, undertakes his most challenging subject yet – a seven foot portrait of his wife, Whitney.

At the heart of this visceral and unexpectedly tender film is a love story like no other––between notorious outsider painter Joe Coleman and his wife and muse of 25 years, Whitney Ward. Known for his intricate portraits of serial killers and outcasts, Coleman turns his obsessive gaze on Whitney in his most personal and ambitious work yet: a towering portrait that lays bare her entire life. As the masterpiece comes to light, so does the complexity of their relationship, where love, art, and intimacy blur in a high-stakes act of trust. Stylistically mirroring Coleman’s own layered, non-linear work, the film is a rich, visceral experience that defies documentary biographical conventions. Director Scott Gracheff blends vérité and archival material to create a hypnotic journey, teetering between wincing at the grotesque and adoring the beauty from the love story that unfolds.

 

Screened with a short film

STICKMAN: ART FOR THE REBEL SOUL

2 minutes Canada (Documentary / Women Director)

A hard and fast micro documentary about the power of art and music featuring the legendary Alberta painter Stickman.