Review by Kiefer Doerksen

My Kid Could Paint That is Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary about pre-schooler Marla Olmstead and her prodigal abilities as an abstract painter. The film captures Marla’s ‘career’ from its early days when her paintings first begin to get attention through to the period in which the paintings stop selling and her parents are receiving threatening e-mails – all the while, young Marla remains oblivious to the commotion surrounding her.

Central to the film are questions about the nature of art in our fame-obsessed culture. While Marla’s mother is weary of the increasing attention towards her daughter, she gives in to the pressure from her husband and their gallery agent who are portrayed as opportunists leeching onto the notoriety and money that Marla’s paintings have brought them. One hilarious scene shows a collector of Marla’s work giving his interpretation of one of her (highly abstract) paintings - describing a man in a doorway and the image of a sonogram. A sonogram? Are these the things that are really on the mind of a four-year-old?

The catalyst for Marla’s undoing in the public eye comes in the form of a “60 Minutes” piece questioning the authenticity of her work, and whether or not her father could have doctored - or outright made - her paintings. This controversy is further supported by the fact that no one is able to videotape Marla painting one of her great works. What’s most saddening is that, real artist or not, Marla becomes famous for (possibly) being a con artist before she’s even able to understand what that means. Bar-Lev wisely never draws conclusions about the ‘true’ identity of the artist. He allows himself to be an active participant within the film, often voicing his conflicted emotions and speaking directly about how they are changing the shape of the movie. While this film unfortunately contributes to the ethical badgering that this child has seen over the course of her young life, it is still thought provoking cinema that may make you question the worth of what is hanging on your walls.

My Kid Could Paint That
Amir Bar-Lev | USA | 2006 | 81min

Fri. Sept. 28 | 10:00am | Empire Granville Theatre
Fri. Oct. 5 | 6:20pm | Empire Granville Theatre
Thur. Oct. 11 | 3:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre