Becoming Frida explores the life of celebrated artist Frida Kahlo in a three-part docuseries. The series delves into major personal and political events of her life, including her stormy and devoted relationship with artist Diego Rivera.
The camera adored Frida Kahlo. She was so beautiful. Those dark, piercing, haunting, unforgiving eyes were like black mirrors reflecting her tortured body and tormented soul that found expression in her intimate, intensely personal art. Frida’s body of work was revered by such artistic giants as André Breton, the founder of surrealism, and her mentor, husband and love of her life legendary serial womanizer and biggest fan, the great Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera.
Rivera’s majestic wall murals were like historical and political storyboards about great people, Mexican history and significant world events. But those magnificent wall murals said nothing about Rivera, the man. On the other hand, Frida’s small, mostly self-portraits and other surrealistic images were often disturbing representations of her agonized interior and tragic spiritual landscape.
Famed Hollywood photographer of the stars, Nicholas Murray, took dozens of color photographs of Frida. But they were too bright, too much color, poses too staged. Not Frida. The black and white archival pictures and newsreel footage of Frida used in the PBS three -part documentary, Becoming Frida Kahlo, more accurately and affectionately captured the true essence of her natural beauty and mutual love affair with the camera
PBSs three-part documentary, Becoming Frida Kahlo, is an unforgettable portrait of a world renown Mexican artist framed in pain.
Becoming Frida Kahlo can be seen on PBS.org.
Also highly recommended for viewing, Frida, the excellent 2002 biopic featuring a brilliant Oscar-nominated performance by the wonderful Salma Hayek in the title role. Frida is streaming on MGM+, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming platforms.