Following its recent and much talked about French premiere, the feature length documentary THE SAVIOR FOR SALE: THE STORY OF THE SALVATOR MUNDI has been snapped up in the following territories in a first round of deals ahead of the film’s upcoming international film festival premiere (to be announced).
The film which started a new controvercy around the authenticity of the most expensive painting in the world sold to Koch Media for a multi territory deal (Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland), Avalon (Spain), Nos Lusomundo (Portugal), Planeta Inform (CIS), Andrews Film (Taiwan) and South Korea (Challan). Negociations are underway, notably in Japan, Scandinavia and ANZ.
After mysteriously reappearing, the painting titled Salvator Mundi (The Savior of the World) was sold at Christie’s for a record 450 million dollars in 2017. Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci after its discovery, what became the most expensive piece of art ever has unleashed passions while revealing the excesses of our time.
A modern tale of globalization, THE SAVIOR FOR SALE delves into the unknown secrets of the art world and explores the influence that one painting can exert on personal and geopolitical interests, weaving links between the auction houses of New York, a revered da Vinci expert, an opportunistic Swiss go-between, a Russian oligarch, the Louvre in Paris and an Arabian prince. An astonishing journey on the hidden trails of money, power and deception behind this questionable masterpiece.
The film revealed that the painting was secretly acquired by Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (colloquially known as MBS) for 450M$ and suggests the reason why it did not appear at the Louvre 2019 Leonardo da Vinci exhibition: the painting may be a collaborative work from Da Vinci’s atelier, with only a small contribution from the master.
These revelations sent a shockwave in the art world, with new developments still ungoing. More twists can be expected in the coming weeks, with the documentary scheduled for international premiere soon.
THE SAVIOR FOR SALE is directed by Antoine Vitkine and produced by Zadig Productions and France Télévisions.
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