The film F is for Fake (Orson Welles, 1973) is a masterpiece that creates its own genre as a documentary essay. The films subject of fakery lies in the precincts of art forgery, charlatanism
“magicianship”, the idea of authorships, and experts. The opening of the film, which displayed Welles doing a magic trick suitably set the theme of imitation, and if the audience didn’t catch on Welles even introduced the film as one of trickery. F is for Fake was birthed collectively out the many different conflicts and stages in Welles’s career. As visual essay, the film’s original focus was Elmyr de Hory, an original art forger living in Ibiza. Welles inclusion of not only Hory’s deception, but also Hory’s biographer, Richard Irving’s duplicity made
“magicianship”, the idea of authorships, and experts. The opening of the film, which displayed Welles doing a magic trick suitably set the theme of imitation, and if the audience didn’t catch on Welles even introduced the film as one of trickery. F is for Fake was birthed collectively out the many different conflicts and stages in Welles’s career. As visual essay, the film’s original focus was Elmyr de Hory, an original art forger living in Ibiza. Welles inclusion of not only Hory’s deception, but also Hory’s biographer, Richard Irving’s duplicity made