The upcoming documentary Frida will be released worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on March 14, 2024. Meanwhile, it will also be screened in select theatres on March 7. This documentary will use archival footage and animation to narrate the story of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. A remarkable aspect of Frida is that her life will be explored through her own words and writings. This will also encompass her tumultuous relationship with her husband.
Frida Kahlo tied the knot with the famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera in 1929. Unfortunately, as per a BBC article, the news of their marriage was not received positively. At the time of their wedding, Rivera was 42, while Kahlo was only 22 years old. Moreover, due to the difference in their statures, the bride’s parents even called the couple ‘the elephant’ and ‘the dove.’
A TIME Magazine report on the Prime Video documentary elaborates that Kahlo’s husband was unfaithful to his wife. Throughout their marriage, he had affairs with several women, including her sister. This further compelled Kahlo to not rely on Rivera for financial support. Instead, she saw painting as a way to become independent. Due to the couple’s differences, they divorced in 1939. However, they remarried in the next year.
The synopsis of Frida in the Prime Video press release reads, “An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo, FRIDA is told through her own words for the very first time, drawn from her famed illustrated diary, revealing letters, essays, and candid print interviews — and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork. The feature film directorial debut of acclaimed editor Carla Gutiérrez (RBG, La Corona), FRIDA posits a striking context as to why the artist – and her art — remains as powerful as ever.”
Why did Frida Kahlo remarry her husband after their divorce?
Frida Kahlo took painting very seriously to seek financial independence from her husband. This was largely due to her rocky relationship with Rivera. She said in one of her writings, “I need to paint so I can make a living. Then I will be free. I no longer accept a damn cent from Diego. I will never accept money from any man until I die.”
Even though the couple divorced in 1939, Rivera insisted Kahlo that they remarry, which they did in 1940. However, she financed herself with the earnings she made from her work. She also decided to split household expenses with her husband.
In the upcoming documentary, Frida Kahlo states that she never painted with the desire to achieve glory. Instead, for her, art was a way to “give myself pleasure and the power to make a living with my trade. I’ve lost so many things I wanted for my life, but painting completed my life.”
Frida Kahlo was born on 6 July 1907 in Mexico to a German father and a mestiza mother. Some of her most famous paintings are Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, The Two Fridas, Self Portrait with Cropped Hair, Henry Ford Hospital, The Bus, and more. She died on 13 July 1954 at the age of 47 in Mexico City. After her passing, Diego Rivera married once again.
The documentary will give a vivid picture of Frida’s narrative. Throughout her life, she endeavored to have some agency and ultimately found her way through art.
