“Kusama — Infinity,” a documentary about the life and art of Yayoi Kusama, is now playing through Sept. 13 at the Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Los Angeles.
This fascinating portrait of Kusama, now the top-selling female artist in the world, traces her turbulent quest from humble beginnings, overcoming countless obstacles, to bring her radical artistic vision to the world stage.
Kusama was an underdog with everything stacked against her; as a child, her conservative mother tried to stop her from becoming an artist by tearing up her drawings. Later, she encountered sexist and racist barriers in the art establishment; she became famous for her polka dot hallucinogenic imagery, and was a sometime rival of Andy Warhol.
She developed mental illness, retreating to live in the peace of an asylum for the last 30 years. In spite of it all, Kusama has endured and has created a legacy of artwork that spans the disciplines of painting, sculpture, installation art, performance art, poetry and novels.
People around the globe are experiencing her “Infinity Mirrored Rooms” installation in record numbers as Kusama, now 88, continues to create new work every day. In Los Angeles, her work can be seen at Marciano Art Foundation (through Oct. 13) and The Broad.
Showtimes: 5:30, 7:30, 9:30 p.m. Friday; 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 9:50 p.m. Saturday; 1, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30 p.m. Sunday; 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Director/writer/producer Heather Lenz will appear at two screenings:
Saturday, Sept. 8, after the 7:30 p.m. show with Q&A moderated by Flea, bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Sunday, Sept. 9, after the 1 p.m. show with Q&A moderated by Anjoum Agrama from Women of Cinematic Arts at USC.
For more information, call (310) 473-8530 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.
“Kusama — Infinity” will also be shown from Sept. 14 to 20 at the Regency South Coast Village, 1561 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana. The director will appear on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15, after the 7 p.m. showing and on Sunday, Sept. 16, after the 4:30 p.m. showing.
For more information, call (714) 557-5701 or visit https://regencymovies.com.
The film will open on Monday, Oct. 15, at the following Laemmle theaters:
Playhouse 7, 673 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A.
Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino
Claremont 5, 450 W. 2ndSt., Claremont
For more information, call (310) 478-3836 or visit www.laemmle.com.
Additional dates and locations in California include:
Sept. 14 at Landmark Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, www.landmarktheatres.com
Sept. 14 at Embarcadero Center Cinema, 1 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, www.landmarktheatres.com
Sept. 14 at Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Riviera Theatre, 2044 Alameda Padre Serra, Santa Barbara, http://sbiff.org
Sept. 21 at Roxie Theater, 3117 16thSt., San Francisco, www.roxie.com
Sept. 28 at Landmark Ken Cinema, 4061 Adams Ave., San Diego, www.landmarktheatres.com
A Magnolia Pictures release. Visit the film’s website at www.kusamamovie.com.