Marla is a four year old girl who likes painting. Unlike other girls her age though, her pictures sell for thousands of dollars. But is it Art? This funny and thought-provoking documentary takes a look at the story behind this enigma. My Kid Could Paint That is released to buy on DVD from 19th May 2008, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
In the space of only a few months, 4-year-old Marla Olmstead rocketed from total obscurity into international renown and sales of her paintings reach $300,000. She was compared to Kandinsky and Pollock and called a “budding Picasso”.
Guest appearances on TV followed, but not all of the attention was positive. Many criticized Marla’s parents for exposing her to the media, and then her father was accused of painting the works for her. As quickly as the public and media had built Marla up, they tore her down.
Embattled, the Olmsteads turned to film maker AMIR BAR-LEV to clear their name. But torn between his responsibility as a journalist and the family’s desire to see their integrity restored, the director is drawn deeper into a situation that can’t end well for any of them.
Masterfully made, My Kid Could Paint That is a gripping story which presents all of the evidence evenly and ultimately leaves the viewers to make their own minds up about Marla.
