Sunflowers – A new documentary on Van Gogh’s greatest masterwork gets a release date

Photo Credit: Annelies van der Vegt

Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers are some of the most iconic paintings in the world. What many mistake for one masterpiece, are actually five paintings of sunflowers in vases scattered across galleries in Amsterdam, London, Munich, Philadelphia and Tokyo. This extraordinary feature-length documentary film brings the spectacular series together on screen as never seen before.

Working closely with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Sunflowers goes beyond a ‘virtual exhibition’, delving into the rich and complex stories behind each of the paintings to unveil the mysteries of the sunflowers. What did the flowers mean to Van Gogh, and why do they resonate so much with audiences today? With a striking portrayal of the artist by actor Jamie de Courcey and fascinating insights from art historians, botanists and everything in between, the film offers a unique insight into Van Gogh’s life and artwork.

Award-winning director David Bickerstaff, who has made two previous films on the artist, Vincent van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing (2015) and Van Gogh & Japan (2019), said, “It was such a joy to witness how unique each version of the Sunflowers really was, evidence of Van Gogh’s exuberance for experimentation. This cinematic journey brought the sunflowers series into sharper focus for me and revealed a new insight to the tragic circumstances that followed.

Drama, struggle and a passion for life can be seen in every dash of paint in the Sunflower paintings. In my opinion, each one shows an honesty and a virtuosity that speaks to the enduring power of an extraordinary artist, who lived an extraordinary life.”

Thrilled to see Event Cinema returning to the UK, Grainne Peat, Managing Director of the Event Cinema Association added, “As UK cinemas prepare to re-open their doors to the public on 17th May, pre-bookings are already encouraging. Exhibition on Screen’s Sunflowers is a stunning masterpiece to add to the list of must-see titles on the big screen and a chance for the public to enjoy the full cinematic-journey of one of the world’s most iconic artists, that has been so beautifully captured.”

Exhibition on Screen releasing the film, which will be in UK cinemas from 8th June.

Sunflowers is released in cinemas across the UK from 8 June, including Curzon, Everyman, Odeon, Picturehouse, Showcase, Vue and independent cinemas.