Documentaries are a difficult thing. The amount of time spent with the subject and the amount of footage shot compared to what’s used in the finished product are both monumental. One needs a compelling subject with a compelling story to tell, and those are not as easy to come by as many would probably assume.

Luckily, Ursula von Rydingsvard is a compelling subject. A woman at the forefront of the contemporary art scene creating massive cedarwood, bronze, and copper sculptures, she has been a creative force since the 1970s. She felt a lifelong determination to be an artist, a drive recalled by everyone in the film from her brother to her patrons, but with a runtime of only 57 minutes, this film a little light on the details of the story of this drive.

Continue reading “VIFF Review: “Ursula von Rydingsvard: Into Her Own” highlights a lifetime of art”