In MONDRIA(A)N, En Route to New York, personal thoughts and historical events unfold side by side. Through a play of lines, surfaces and rhythm, the film shows Piet Mondriaan continuing his work while the threat of the Second World War draws closer.
Despite the growing danger, Mondriaan postpones his departure for New York again and again. He keeps painting, holding on to the hope that things will improve. Only when staying is no longer an option does he decide to leave. The journey is slow and repeatedly delayed by bureaucratic obstacles.
After arriving in New York, his work begins to change. The strict black lines and primary colours make way for a new rhythm, shaped by his surroundings. In a dark period of European history, Mondriaan seems to loosen his own rules and reinvent himself.
Directed by Pim Zwier, this documentary portrays an artist in motion not only physically, but also in thought and practice. A film about holding on and letting go, and about how circumstances can transform art.
