This dramatized documentary tells the story of the famed forger Elmyr de Hory. He is interviewed and investigated by a skeptical Orson Welles, who introduces the premise of a “fake faker” with questions such as, “Who’s the expert?” and “Who’s the fake?” The film is an example of a hoax as it examines the famous forgeries of Elmyr de Hory. Welles’s message is that once a fake exists, it permeates its surroundings until real and fake blur. Fake events make the film confusing and that is exactly the point. It is a work of art in itself, and also a groundbreaking analysis of forgery and deception through art across the media of painting and film.
By Molly George