An historically meticulous period piece examining the philosophy of art and existence, from one of German film’s greatest living master craftsmen.
We should thank our lucky stars the old masters are still here among us.
Leibniz – Chronicle of a Lost Painting 2026
Leibniz – Chronik eines verschollenen Bildes
Ninety-two-year-old master filmmaker Edgar Reitz has always had a fascination with history and the role art plays in defining society at different points in the past. The subject of his latest offering is Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. The philosopher, writer and academic is beloved Court Counsellor to Queen Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, who commissions a portrait in the hopes that committing his visage to a canvas would allow him to remain eternal.
At its core, the film is a precise, detailed character study in which the actors deliver exceptional performances. Edgar Selge and Aenne Schwarz anchor the film as the titular philosopher and the artist commissioned to paint his portrait, starting out in fierce opposition to one another and finding common ground once they realize there are many similarities that bind them together. The film oscillates between intellectual musings and melodramatic reflections (punctuated by subtle touches of humour throughout).
The entire film is enshrouded in a dreamlike, hypnotic aesthetic. The attention to detail is notable, with production design and costuming precise right down to the smallest, most nuanced feature.
A beautiful, poignant and sublime work of cinematic artistry that consolidates Reitz as one of our greatest and most essential visionaries.
– Matthew Joseph Jenner, International Cinephile Society