Vasya

Vasiliy Sitnikov - Vasya - officially insane, a man without a passport, in and out of mental institutions, key figure of the nonconformist art movement in the Soviet Union. Vasya left behind astonishing artworks, some of which found their way into the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Yet he remains a compelling, controversial mystery. Who was this incredible artist? Why does his legend still confound those who knew him? In this award winning meta-documentary, filmmaker blending documentary and animated footage, creates a portrait of a man, an artist and the society around him.

Andrei Zagdansky and Vasily Sitnikov's painting in Austria. Suburb of Vienna, February 2001.