Frida Kahlo is an iconic Mexican painter, not just because of her outstanding art, but also because of her outlook in life, despite her ill health and tragic accident. Because of this, she has been talked about in multiple books, movies, and exhibitions, but a new documentary has popped up, this time from her own words. Carla Gutierrez’s directorial debut is a revelation, voiced primarily in Frida’s native Spanish and paired with key archival footage, vivid animations of her paintings, and an excellent acoustic score plucked from classical guitar. Being a biographical documentary, fans of the artist would, of course, be familiar with her life events, but Gutierrez’s approach is still worth watching, mostly because it’s Frida’s own words driving the film.

It’s great to hear Kahlo’s own words used for her own biography, especially in her native Spanish, but it feels strange to see Kahlo’s paintings animated. It would definitely split some viewers, as the well-done animation thankfully gives some movement to the archived photos, but it would alienate more ardent fans that would consider her work untouchable.