The life of polish surrealist painter Zdzisław Beksiński, whose work is marked by sadomasochism, macabre humor, decomposing bodies, along with spiders, the painter’s phobia. With his bigot wife, he tries to protect his suicidal and neurotic son Tomazs.

After a noted foray in short films and documentaries, Polish director Jan P. Matuszynski finally takes on feature films, with this truly stifling biopic covering three decades. Cast by Spielberg, Resnais and Houellebecq, Andrzej Seweryn delivers one of his finest compositions, justly rewarded at the Locarno film festival with the Best Actor award.