Fandango, an Italian film company, is set to showcase The Sleeper at the Cannes Marché du Film. This documentary, directed by Spanish filmmaker Alvaro Longoria, delves into the intriguing story of a long-lost Caravaggio painting that recently made international headlines. The painting, Ecce Homo, which portrays a thorn-crowned Christ, will soon be exhibited at Madrid’s Prado Museum.
In The Sleeper, art dealer Jorge Coll guides viewers through the fascinating journey of this artwork, which was previously thought to be a creation by José de Ribeira, a 17th-century Spanish painter. It had hung in a regular Spanish household for many years before appearing at an auction in Madrid in April 2021.
Initially, it was listed with a modest price of €1,500 ($1,600), but new insights prompted experts in Spain and Italy to take a closer look. Their investigation revealed the painting’s true identity and value, which could now be worth up to $400 million.
On Monday, the Prado Museum confirmed that Ecce Homo, which was bought anonymously from the family that had owned it for generations, will be on display from May 28 until October. Miguel Falomir, the museum’s director, explained that the new owner collaborated with experts to restore the painting and piece together its journey.
Italy’s Fandango to Launch Sales at Cannes of Buzzy Lost Caravaggio Doc ‘The Sleeper,’ Directed by Álvaro Longoria (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/qCCbfe7Jkr pic.twitter.com/VxKrjBsilB
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The idea for The Sleeper originated with Longoria, who co-founded Spain’s Morena Films, working alongside Gerardo Olivares from Mediacrest and Ricardo Fernández-Deu from Estrategia Audiovisual. They co-produced the film with Italy’s Fandango. Production began at the end of 2023 after securing all rights to the story and involved shooting in Madrid, London, and various Italian cities.
Longoria returns to directing with this project after his previous documentaries, Sons of the Clouds (2012) and The Propaganda Game (2015). The former, produced by Javier Bardem, won a Spanish Academy Goya award, while the latter earned a nomination. The Sleeper promises to captivate viewers with its unique blend of art history and investigative storytelling. Source
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