Desc: Stanislav Stanek: My Blues and Greens: Directed by Petr Pavel Kepka. My Blues and Greens is a poetic portrait of the life and art of the best academy-trained Czech painter of his generation, Stanislav Stank. Stank, a victim of the dark communist era, triumphed over the limitations of his time by his industry and talent, as well as his outlook on life and incredible passion for art and love. In 1949, Stank proved himself to be the best student at the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and was competitively selected to study at the Nationale Superieure des Beauz-Arts in Paris. But, soon after his selection, the Czech communist government canceled all cultural programs with capitalistic countries in an effort to prevent students from exposure to anti communist ideas. Instead of discussions with Picasso, Miro, Severini, Chagall, Matisse, Kupka, Soutine and others in Paris, Stank was sent to The People's Republic of Bulgaria. After his return, he was pushed into socialist realism, a style centered on revolutionary ideology. Employing an unconventional technique to biography, My Blues and Greens captures the spirit of Stank's work and the philosophy by which he lives his life through a series of stories and anecdotes in the artist's own words. The film marries image, music, and meaning to immerse the viewer in the mind of the artist, providing a poetic insight into Stank's own experience as he goes through the process of creating his work. He is shown at home and at work, painting and talking with his sons, discussing the relative merits of using nude models, or reminiscing about playing tennis in the halls of the famous Prague Art Academy. His stories are funny and poignant. Simple tales about his childhood in Prague are interspersed with thoughtful discussions on the meaning of art; all of it infused with Stank's wry sense of humor. Through its creative and poetic visuals, My Blues and Greens opens a window into the mind of the artist. The images flow from one story to the next, from scenes of Stank at home with his sons, or enjoying the beauty of the Czech landscape he finds so inspiring, to showing the progress of one of his paintings from start to finish. It is a moving, eloquent portrait of the life of a man who spent most of his 80 years trying to bring more beauty into an already beautiful world. "I wanted to share the inspiration and guidance that drove my own life as an artist," said producer Ivan Stank. He enlisted the help of director and composer Petr Kepka, a man who grew up in Ivan's home town in the Czech Republic. Despite being raised in the same city, Petr and Ivan didn't meet until both had been living in the United States for over a decade. "We realized that this is a story for everyone," said Kepka. "Here is this man at the end of his life sharing what mattered, and it wasnt making money or getting famous. He was speaking about human relationships and how art interweaves with life. Stanislav Stank overcame the obstacles of his time by bringing beauty into the lives of the people around him. He created work that allows them to experience the beauty he found in his favorite subjects: the Czech countryside, stories of Don Quixote, and the metaphor of swans. This is a man who values beauty and art, and lives a purposeful life."