Director Jean-Christophe Averty
Director of Photography Lucien Billard
This self-portrait of Salvador Dalí was directed by the legendary French TV producer, Jean-Christophe Averty, and is presented as a hybrid, somewhere between biographical documentary, happening and video art. It was shot in and around Gala and Salvador Dalí’s house at Portlligat, in the idyllic setting of the Cap de Creus.
During the realization of the project, Dalí opened the doors of his home and his imagination to the cameras to explain to the viewers the story of his life and situate it within his creative process. Seen here in typically provocative and unconventional mode, he is the main focus of the film and as such never ceases to act out his role as protagonist.
Throughout the documentary the dialogue between Averty and Dalí takes the form of a series of questions and answers, the main themes of which are life before birth, the trauma of birth and the origin and meaning of some of Dalí’s most characteristic works. This basic structure is complemented by numerous archive photographs, footage of the artist’s work and several performances.