Caroline Goldstein: Artnet
Just in time for the holidays, Hollywood is rolling out a heartwarming tale about overcoming adversity through art.
Welcome to Marwen is based on the life and artwork of Mark Hogancamp, a hate-crime survivor who turned to art as a form of therapy. In 2000, to help him cope with the fallout of an assault that saddled him with crippling psychological trauma, he created a fictional, 1:6 scale World War II town christened Marwencol, populated with dolls inspired by his real-life friends, neighbors, and even the men who attacked him. In 2010, he was the subject of Jeff Malmberg’s award-winning documentary named after the imaginary town.
The Hollywood adaptation is helmed by Robert Zemeckis, best known as the creator of classics such as Back to the Future (1985), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and Forrest Gump (1994), which earned him an Oscar in 1995. Steve Carell, who plays Hogancamp, is joined by a star-studded cast featuring Janelle Monáe, Diane Kruger, and Leslie Mann. …Read More
Pictured: Steve Carrell as Mark Hogancamp in Welcome to Marwen. © 2018 Universal Pictures.