A cinematic hybrid portrait of Indonesian artist Rizz, exploring the physical, mental, and mythic world he constructs in order to create and the life he chooses to live in complete devotion to his art.
Rizz
Norman Reedus
Among Rizz’s collectors are Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger, who own two of his works between their homes in New York and Paris.
For his recent Paris exhibition, “Soleil d’hiver”, Rizz painted a portrait of Norman.
A gesture less of commission than of dialogue, the painting extends a relationship that had begun through the canvas itself.
Norman and Rizz share a passion for classic American motorbikes.
For Rizz, creation is not an activity. It is a state of being.
This hybrid documentary inhabits the physical, mental, and mythic space he has constructed in order to create.
Filmed over an extended period of immersion, the camera observes the rhythms of his daily life while poetic recreations bring to life formative memories, including the now-legendary story of his first controversial piece.
Rather than tracing a conventional rise to success, the film asks a deeper question: what must a man build around himself in order to live entirely through his passion? And what does it mean to devote oneself so completely to art that life itself becomes part of the work?
This is not a biography.
This is an immersion into a self-made world.
When I met Rizz, I was struck not only by his paintings, but by the coherence of his world.
This film is not about career milestones or market recognition.
It is about the architecture of a creative existence. About the environment an artist must build, physically and mentally, to protect instinct and remain honest in a world that often demands explanation.
I am interested in cinema as immersion. I want the audience to feel the textures of Rizz’s world: the air, the silence, the dust, the sound of brush on canvas.
The hybrid form allows memory and myth to coexist with observation, reflecting the way artists remember their own origins, not as documentation, but as narrative.
The film does not seek to decode him. It seeks to stay close to the space that makes creation possible.
— Ryan Kay
Executive Producer | Director
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Ryan Kay grew up immersed in an environment of aesthetics, owing to his architect father, Jihad Khairallah, and designer mother, Nadine Roufael. This early exposure to design, coupled with his passion for music, contributed significantly to his creative growth.
Kay's debut in the film industry was marked by his self-written and directed sci-fi short film, "Coalescent". The film achieved international recognition, securing awards in Beirut, London, Madrid, Arizona, and Los Angeles, thus marking Kay as an emerging talent in the global film landscape.
His films are characterised by a unique blending of complex character development, detailed visuals, and immersive soundscapes, reflecting his musical and architectural influences.
With every project, Ryan Kay commits to crafting a holistic viewing experience that seamlessly taps into his audience's perception of the world.
He compels them to watch, observe, and experience the film.
"Coalescent" (2021)
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