Documentary
French (Vérités et Mensonges)
1973 · Directed by Orson Welles & François Reichenbach · 89 min
Orson Welles, dressed as a showman and magician, takes viewers through the world of art forgers, hoaxers and fakes. He begins with a famous painter of forgeries and a notorious literary impostor, and he invites you to ask who deserves your trust, including him.
Why it matters in cinema history
A defining film of the 1970s essay-film tradition and a key work of late Welles. It anticipated the later blurring of fact and fiction in nonfiction cinema.
Watch with intention
Treat Welles as a magician, and keep asking what each trick is for and when he lets you see it.
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