We are all about films that offer a glimpse into the creative process of artists we admire. So, when a well-crafted, candid, and compelling documentary such as Walking on Water comes along, it makes sense that we’d be among the film’s cheerleaders. The documentary, which screened at the 2018 DOC NYC and opens at the Film Forum today, follows internationally acclaimed artist Christo during the planning, installation, and exhibition of The Floating Piers, an environmental artwork installed at Lake Iseo near Brescia, Italy in 2016. During the film’s opening weekend, Christo and filmmaker Andrey Paounov will do Q&As following the 7pm screenings on Friday, May 17, Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19. Tickets are available here.

Christo isn’t new to being in front of the camera, he’s starred in several documentaries. However, he is relatively new to working on large-scale artworks without his wife and long-time creative partner Jeanne-Claude. The pair met some 60-odd years ago and were inseparable until her death in 2009. Christo originally conceived of The Floating Piers with Jeanne-Claude back in 1969. But it wasn’t until 2014 that Christo and his team were able to secure a workable location. This becomes the starting point for Walking on Water.

The Floating Piers involved the installation of a three-kilometer-long pedestrian bridge across the water of Lake Iseo. Christo constructed the walkway out of polyethylene cubes that he covered with fabric. This fabric continued into the streets of the neighboring villages. The work was up for 16 days, from June 18, 2016, to July 3, 2016.

Walking on Water follows the then 81-year-old Christo, who has a mad professor persona, as he deals with various challenges associated with the project. He negotiates with the government, confronts engineering issues, rants about the crowds, and is at the mercy of the elements. The artist’s team on the ground includes his operations director and nephew, Vladimir Yavachev, and photographer Wolfgang Volz. Christo, while frantic and bullheaded at times, possesses an endearing childlike enthusiasm and pure love for the artistic process. He makes for an engaging protagonist.

Christo had the foresight to document the art project. In fact, he invited 10 different crews to shoot in cinéma vérité fashion as he worked. Paounov came to the film after the fact and skillfully sculpts a narrative from 700 hours of footage. Of the documentary, Paounov has said his goal was to make a film that offers every viewer the opportunity to walk in Christo’s footsteps on the holy grail of creation.

Walking on Water is the latest in a long line of documentaries that capture Christo in the throes of his artistic process. Albert Maysles and his brother David were involved with six films for Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The last being HBO’s The Gates, which was 26 years in the making.

Walking on Water is now playing at the Film Forum and expands to other cities over the coming months via Kino Lorber. For complete details, visit the film’s website. If you miss Christo’s Q&As at Film Forum, the artist will at the 92nd Street Y on Wednesday, May 22 for a conversation with Amei Wallach. Tickets are available here.

Image courtesy of Kino Lorber