A Brush of Controversy

"They are unhappy with the film, "My Kid Could Paint That" helmer Amir Bar-Lev admitted after a Gotham screening of the doc last week.  "They" are the parents of the film’s subject matter, Marla Olmstead, a four year-old artist who won international attention for her abstract paintings —only to be "debunked" months later when doubts were cast on the phenom. In the film, Bar-Lev examines these doubts and tries to determine if Marla’s artwork is partially her parents doing.

"They are doing 'Nightline' this week, making their first big public rebuttal," Bar-Lev said. Despite the publicity the Olmstead’s rebuttal may drum up, the helmer is not happy about it. "It’s not worth the interpersonal drama. These people were friends of mine. Being involved in a he-said she-said controversy is not something I savor."

Sony Pictures Classics picked up the doc at Sundance in January for an estimated $1.8 million. "Of course this has been on some levels what every independent documentary filmmaker dreams of," Bar-Lev said. "But having said that, the reality is even when you are getting documentary gold, it doesn’t feel like anything to celebrate. But I stand by the work and I have to tell things as I see them."  (A. Morfoot)