Detroit Film Theatre

There Are No Fakes

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Saturday, April 4

2 PM

Ticket Details

Free with General Admission

Location

Lecture Hall

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“I bought my painting; little did I know—the spiderweb was around me.” – Kevin Hearn

Norval Morrisseau (Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation) took the art world by storm in the 1960s with his vivid and expressive paintings. Lauded as the “Picasso of the North,” founder of the Woodlands school of art, and grandfather of contemporary Indigenous art, Morrisseau's popularity endures to this day.

After rock star Kevin Hearn purchases an alleged Morrisseau painting and begins to doubt its authenticity, he launches a lawsuit against the gallery that sold it to him. Tracing the painting’s origin uncovers a lucrative art forgery ring in Thunder Bay, but the investigation reveals an even darker web of crime.

Following the film's release, eight arrests were made and 1,000 fake paintings were seized. Ontario police credited There Are No Fakes with inspiring the investigation.

This screening will be followed by a special discussion with Cory Dingle, CEO of the Estate of Norval Morrisseau, examining the legal battles and technological developments highlighted in the film.

Image source: Greg Kinch/Vancouver Sun