Earlier this year, esteemed documentary editor Carla Gutiérrez made her directorial debut with FRIDA, a Time Studios/Imagine Documentaries/Amazon/MGM venture that premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Numerous filmmakers, directors, and creatives of all mediums have undertaken retellings of the iconic artist’s life and story, painstakingly cataloging Kahlo’s art and experiences. Going against the grain of the mainstream, Gutiérrez’s film is an entirely new take on how to effectively tell another’s story. Gutiérrez allows Frida herself to control the narrative, as the film is actually guided by Frida’s own voice.
The film opens with the line, “In my life, I’ve only painted the honest expression of myself.” This phrase is an indicator of what’s to come in the documentary: an honest expression of Frida herself, mediated through her art and narrated through her own words.
Through a handful of interviews and the majority of Kahlo’s writings, Gutiérrez’s FRIDA allows the late artist to speak intimately with the audience, with her own words and thoughts permeating the documentary. By utilizing the archival material in this way, Gutiérrez grants Frida the ability to craft her own narrative, pulling the testimony of Frida’s own life together through the letters, writings, and illustrated diary she left behind.
In another experimental turn, Gutiérrez’s film animates Kahlo’s art. Frida’s own words and narration often bring the paintings to life, showcasing her growth and reflecting her feelings, portraying the highs and lows she experienced, and ultimately connecting her artwork to the life events and experiences she was navigating.
While many of Kahlo’s paintings have been deeply analyzed and scrutinized for the ways they intersected with her lived reality, this particular film brings an entirely new dimension and perspective to the way she explored her own being in her work.
Narrating the documentary through Frida’s voice underscores how vulnerable, open, and honest Frida was, both with herself and with her life as a whole. The film takes care to use Frida’s own words addressing the fragility of her mind, her sensitivity, and the fluidity of her sexuality. These explorations are done with nuance, allowing Frida to speak directly, openly, and unashamedly about the way she experienced love, intimacy, and relationships with both men and women.
Gutiérrez’s FRIDA further showcases its incredible impact as it is narrated entirely in Spanish (although English subtitles are available, providing access for non-Spanish speaking audiences). Allowing Frida to speak in her own voice and in her own native language is a powerful mode of storytelling and expression for the painter, whose narrative is so often controlled and shaped by outside forces and influences.
Overall, FRIDA is a moving rendition and take on the arc of Kahlo’s life and the impression and legacy her art has left on millions. The film is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.
About FRIDA
An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo. Told through her own words for the very first time – drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews – and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork.