Films on Frank Walter
by Thomas Barzilay Freund
Moon Voyage (2025)
This short piece created by filmmaker Thomas Barzilay Freund interweaves magnetic tape soundbites from Walter’s anthology of poems with paintings and sculpture from his celestial Milky Way Galaxy series — complemented by additional works and archival material.
Walter's enduring fascination with extraterrestrial realms is evident throughout the vast archive of his written and recorded poetry and prose. “Moon Voyage” also situates Frank's work within the auditory cosmos of his Jupiterian Opera, a mesmerizing musical tapestry composed, performed, and recorded by Walter.
Frank Walter: Artist, Gardener, Radical (2023)
In Frank Walter : Artist, Gardener, Radical, filmmaker Thomas Barzilay Freund delves into the life and work of Walter’s landscape and nature paintings with immersive visuals of his self-designed home and gardens on Bailey’s Hill, Antigua. The film showcases over 100 previously unexhibited paintings and sculptures, capturing Walter's profound connection to Antigua's flora and fauna.
Walter's multifaceted legacy as an environmentalist, intellectual, and philosopher is juxtaposed with his professional and political history — the first Black man to manage a sugar plantation in Antigua and visionary environmentalist candidate for governor of Antigua in 1969. This medley of archival, analog, and digital media offers an intimate portrayal of Walter's secluded life — dedicated to gardening, writing, and painting, nature, and ancestry.
Frank Walter’s Chessboard (2022)
Frank Walter’s Chessboard delves into the intricate life and work of of Walter, complementing the 2022 exhibition at Xavier Hufkens gallery. The film examines Walter’s diverse artistic practice—including his luminous paintings, carved sculptures, and philosophical writings — while exploring themes of identity, colonial history, and cultural duality.
Directed by Thomas Barzilay Freund, the film incorporates visuals of Walter’s hilltop home and studio in Antigua, underscoring the link between the artist’s environment and his creative output. Together, the exhibition and film invite viewers to engage with Walter’s remarkable ability to bridge worlds and leave an enduring artistic legacy.
To Capture a Soul (2024)
Filmmaker Thomas Barzilay Freund’s To Capture a Soul weaves together archival material from Frank Walter’s vast body of work with insights from contemporary artist Josh Smith, whose drawings shared exhibition space with Walter’s pieces at The Drawing Center. The film interlaces Walter’s expressive paintings, intricate drawings, and poetic compositions with Smith’s reflections, creating a poignant dialogue between two artists connected by their empathetic approaches to creativity.
Walter’s "drawing impulse"—his ceaseless drive to encapsulate the world through his art—is vividly explored alongside themes of race, identity, and the colonial legacy that shaped his perspective. To Capture a Soul positions Walter’s legacy as a powerful force within contemporary art, celebrating his ability to bridge boundaries and capture the essence of life through his work.
Frank Walter: life and landscape (2023)
Filmmaker Thomas Barzilay Freund’s Frank Walter : life and landscape marks the South American debut of Walter’s work. The film celebrates Walter’s intimate yet expansive style, which reflect his deep connection to Caribbean landscapes—both real and imagined. Through his use of unconventional materials like the backs of photographs, the film illuminates Walter’s ability to transform everyday items into portals of artistic and emotional depth.
Freund weaves together interview and exhibition footage captured by videographer Juan Piñero with striking imagery of Walter’s studio, perched atop a hill on his home West Indian island. The short examines Walter’s legacy as a painter, poet, and philosopher, showcasing his profound engagement with themes of identity, colonial history, and humanity’s place within the natural world. Featuring insights from curator Barbara Paca, friend and historian of the late Frank Walter’s work.
Older Frank Walter Films
PBS's ART TRIP: VENICE BIENNALE, Featuring the Antigua & Barbuda Inaugural Pavilion
Art is the Chief Expression of Human Intellect, Venice Biennale Antigua & Barbuda Inaugural National Pavilion
On Art — A Planter’s Feeling, Venice Biennale Antigua & Barbuda Inaugural National Pavilion
How I Became European, Venice Biennale Antigua & Barbuda Inaugural National Pavilion
Hike to Frank, Venice Biennale Antigua & Barbuda Inaugural National Pavilion
What My Ancestor’s Believed, Venice Biennale Antigua & Barbuda Inaugural National Pavilion
Frank Walter The Last Universal Man, Venice Documentation Project
The Sculptor, Venice Biennale Antigua & Barbuda Inaugural National Pavilion
Curator Barbara Paca reading an extract from Frank Walter: The Last Universal Man, Venice Documentation Project