If your idea of a silver screen hit includes history, crime, and a healthy dose of art, this is your weekend -- as part of the the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival, "Portrait of Wally," is debuting October 26 through 28 at Phoenix Art Museum.
Austrian painter Egon Schiele, most regonized for his figurative paintings in the early 20th century, painted his young mistress, Walburga Neuzil in 1912. The painting was believed to be lost until it surfaced decades later, appearing on the walls of New York's Museum of Modern Art.
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This particular portrait has been involved in a 13-year-long legal battle that has brought the history of Nazi art looting into the open and left many museums re-examining their collections for similar suspect objects in their collections.
The controversy surrounding "Wally" has resulted in cases where museums all over the world have returned stolen art during the Holocaust to Jewish families.
The film will be shown Friday October 26 at 2:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Ticket prices for museum members is $7 and $10 for non-members.
Check out the trailer for "Portrait of Wally" and purchase tickets for the film at the Phoenix Art Museum website.