Absolute Wilson (2006)

From director, Katharina Otto-Bernstein, a provocative and moving documentary on the life and work of Robert Wilson, one of the most visionary and controversial theater artists of our time. The film delivers a surprisingly candid look at Robert Wilson, who drops his characteristic reticence and speaks with unprecedented candor about his personal life. Nothing is left in the shadows, as he discusses his troubled and lonely childhood as the son of the Mayor of Waco, Texas, his early learning disabilities, his work with disabled children using therapy as a tool for artistic expression, his departure from Texas at the time of his coming out and his fascination with the downtown New York avant-garde scene of the late 60's. What emerges is a life full of impressions, colors and rhythms, making it all the more poignant how Wilson's early hardships ultimately shaped his ground-breaking aesthetic vision. More than a biography, the film becomes an exhilarating exploration of the transformative power of creativity itself and the inspirational tale of a shy, stuttering boy who grew up to become a fearless artist with a profoundly original perspective to share with the world.