Ion Caramitru, who later became the Minister of Culture in Romania, plays the lead role of the painter, Stefan Luchian.
Stefan Luchian lives at the beginning of the 20th century and suffers from a disease that will eventually paralyze him. He is unable to pursue love and focuses all his strength, his power on painting. He also ignores the vile and corrupt society that surrounds him.
Personally I like to call this movie "Impressions from Luchian's Life". The movie doesn't bring up a documentary approach, and we can see some modern approaches (for 1981) to modern cinematography. Time passes quickly, seasons go by in a flash and sometimes suddenly stops at key, symbolistic moments. The painter sees life, death, poverty, revolution and brings life to his paintings.
