Van Gogh: Painted with Words

Van Gogh: Painted with Words (2010) is a BBC drama-documentary you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Andrew Hutton. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Vincent van Gogh, and every line spoken in the film is taken directly from the painter's own correspondence — mostly letters written to his brother Theo.

The film doesn't build toward a dramatic reveal. It follows the grain of what's on the page: a man who washed out of commerce, couldn't hold a teaching position, and was turned away from seminary school before he picked up a pencil. Presenter Alan Yentob provides the connective tissue while the actors give the letters a living voice.

Eighty minutes long and unusually close to the source. Stream Van Gogh: Painted with Words online on iFILM.