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Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories

Duration: 1 hour, 29 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Two ScotlandLatest broadcast: on BBC Four

Available for 4 months

A unique insight into the life and work of celebrated painter Paula Rego directed by her son, film-maker Nick Willing. Notoriously private and guarded, Rego opens up for the first time, surprising her son with secrets and stories of her unique life, battling fascism, a misogynistic art world and manic depression.

Born in Portugal, a country which her father told her was no good for women, Rego nevertheless used her powerful pictures as a weapon against the dictatorship before settling in London, where she continued to target women's issues such as abortion rights. But above all, her paintings are a cryptic glimpse into an intimate world of personal tragedy, perverse fantasies and awkward truths.

Nick Willing combines a huge archive of home movies and family photographs with interviews spanning 60 years and in-depth studies of Rego at work in her studio. What emerges is a powerful personal portrait of an artist whose legacy will survive the years, graphically illustrated in pastel, charcoal and oil paint. Show less

Contributors

Executive Producer:
Liz Hartford
Executive Producer:
Mark Bell
Executive Producer:
Kate Townsend
Production Company:
Dogwoman Ltd
Production Company:
Kismet Films
Director:
Nick Willing

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