'Apolonia, Apolonia': A Distorted Portrait of Artist Apolonia Sokol

Despite 13 years of footage, the documentary leaves viewers with an incomplete understanding of Sokol's life and career.

The documentary 'Apolonia, Apolonia' chronicles the life of French figurative painter Apolonia Sokol over 13 years, from her schooling at the École des Beaux-Arts to her rise as one of the most acclaimed artists of her generation.
The film, directed by Danish filmmaker Lea Glob, is criticized for its close focus on Sokol, resulting in a portrait that feels distant and distorted.
Despite intimate footage and occasional confessions, the portrait of Sokol as a person is described as mostly hollow, with important moments in her professional career told with frustrating vagueness.
The film explores Sokol's relationship with Oksana Shachko, an artist and founding member of the Ukrainian radical feminist activist group Femen, but leaves many questions unanswered about their separation when Sokol moved to the United States.
The documentary, which received a grade of C, will open in New York on Friday, January 12, at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema.