a documentary to discover, over sixteen years, the creative process of the painter Charles Belle

Every artist has his own universe, sometimes difficult to grasp. Charles Belle opens the doors to his intimacy in a documentary revealing what art can mean for man.

Art touches each person differently. Some are more sensitive to it, others remain intrigued, curious to understand what is hidden behind a painting. With the documentary Beyond the silencesin theaters since August 28, we no longer just watch the works of Charles Belle, we immerse ourselves in the artist’s mind. The painter shared sixteen years of his life as a creator of XXL paintings. The 82-minute documentary is a unique opportunity to explore the creative process of an artist and to feel what drives his brush.

But don’t expect a classic story. Here, there is no invasive narration, no detailed biography. Beyond the Silences takes us directly into Charles Belle’s studio, where we observe the birth of works, where every gesture, every silence has its importance. This film immerses us in a universe where art speaks for itself, without artifice.

It was the director François Royet who took on this crazy challenge: to follow Charles Belle for sixteen years. For him, this documentary goes beyond the simple portrait of a painter. “It’s for for me the culmination of a very long work which questions the processes of creation, the commitment and constancy that this requires, the place that art takes in the life of a human being,” he confided to the microphone of France 3.

What was supposed to be a modest screening in Besançon ultimately took on a much larger dimension, to the point of being selected for the Louvre art film festival.People started applauding from the first line of the credits, and then no one wanted to stop. 500 people were in unison after the film was shown.”remembers Charles Belle, still moved by the public’s reception. Since then, the film has been screened in 14 other cinemas in France and continues to captivate those who seek to understand, or rather to feel, what art can really mean.

“We work, we don’t ask anything from anyone, without any strategy. That’s what art is, moving forward with the simple joy of creating.”explains Charles Belle in Beyond the silences. This film allows us to feel the therapy that art can be, to understand the solitude of the artist facing his canvas, and above all to capture those moments when creation takes precedence over everything else.

For a painter like him, art is a way of giving form to the invisible, of capturing on canvas emotions, ideas and fragments of reality that words cannot express. So if you’ve ever wanted to know what’s going on inside an artist’s head, Beyond the silences offers you this opportunity.