A film I cannot remember, about a struggling artist who has not suffered

Movies
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I am looking for a movie that I only read about, years ago, in a Cracked article, but cannot remember the name, release year, or who made it or who was in it, only the basic premise. I believe it was made sometime in the 80s, 90s, or early 2000s, but I could be very wrong. It is about a man or a woman, cannot remember, who has aspirations to become an artist (of what kind I cannot remember), but comes to realize that true art comes through pain and suffering. As this aspiring artist has never suffered, they believe they cannot create true art, and so set out to bring suffering upon themselves so they can be an artist. I have found similar films, for example Sullivan’s Travels from 1941, which is an excellent film, but very different from the one I recall. There is also The Art of Pain from 2008, which is vaguely similar, but again not the one I am thinking of. Please help! Because I too am an aspiring artist, a writer specifically! And if I cannot find this film with this exact plot, I am going to assume I have imagined the entire thing and have come up with the plot myself for use in my own story, and then risk plagiarism if it turns out it actually has existed this entire time. Also, I am certain the film exists somewhere in the depths of obscure cinema, and it sounds like something I would genuinely enjoy watching.

4 Answers

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:slight_smile: It sounds like the movie you’re thinking of might be “Kissed by Winter” (2005), a Norwegian film directed by Sara Johnsen. The main character, a photographer named Iris, believes that her art is not truly authentic because she has never experienced true pain and suffering. She then sets out to deliberately cause a car accident in order to experience trauma and generate more powerful art. The film is a drama and stars Annika Hallin as Iris.

That also looks like a great movie which I want to see! But sadly it is still not the one. In the one I am thinking, the wannabe artist deliberately gives up their entire life and everything they own in order to truly suffer, I do not think they cause others to suffer, only themselves. I also think it may be some kind of drama/comedy? But thanks anyway :)

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I am still looking but this sounds some what like an episode of Desperate Housewives from Season 8.

It was middle of the season I think when “Susan” is taking art classes and her instructor gives her crap about not ever having pain and she isn’t a true artist so she tries to do things like takes random punishment from people. I don’t remember the exacts, but thought I would offer it as an option.

Thanks for taking the time to still look for it. I've been trying for years and am beginning to think I have imagined the whole thing. I can't have because I even remember the movie poster in the article, all black with a single bar of color across the lower half, with scenery and the main character walking across it. This is sadly yet again not the one I am looking for, but thanks for trying.

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This is a long shot, but The Midnight Meat Train (2008) has a scene where a photographer gets turned down because he hasn’t experienced the gritty part of the city.

It is a long shot, that is a horror movie, and the entire plot revolves around the wannabe artist, not just a scene. Thanks though, I am beginning to think I have pulled a House of Leaves on myself and created an imaginary film in my head haha

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If it wasn’t for this movie Paradise Found (2003) - IMDb ? Beautiful film :blush::wink:

Sadly no. The one I am thinking about is an aspiring artist with no talent, who surmises he has no talent because true art comes through suffering, and he has not suffered. This sounds similar, and does look like a good movie, but it is not the one. Thanks though.

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