Educational Media Reviews Online

Felix Tikotin was a collector and dealer of Japanese art known across the globe. He began collecting in the 1920s when there were few competitors in Germany and Holland, and through his belief that “art supersedes war and violence,” he helped restore the relationship between Holland and Japan after World War II. A patriotic German, Tikotin fought in World War I, but went into hiding in Holland during the Second World War because of his Jewish ancestry. In the years after the war, Tikotin moved his collection to Israel, where he established the Tikotin Museum of Art in 1960.

Tikotin explores this man’s life and career through memories shared by his daughter, grandsons, and other relations, in addition to the children of Japanese art dealers in Tokyo with whom he had close relationships. His grandson tracks down these individuals and lays out his grandfather’s story piece by piece.

The story of Tikotin’s life is told entirely through these interviews, focusing on both the success of his life’s work and the tragedy of its effects on his family life. Between his traveling habits, his wife’s delicate mental health, and his daughters’ lack of interest in the pursuit that he prioritized ahead of them, Tikotin spent much of his life away from his family. Interviews are supplemented well with photographs, excerpts from letters, and footage of his collected artwork. The perspectives offered about the effects of the two wars on Tikotin, as well as his affinity with Japanese culture, together with the Philip Glass-like musical score make for insightful and emotional viewing.

Some of the art in Tikotin’s collection is shown, but the film is less a discussion of the art itself than the man and his dedication to bargaining and collecting. In addition to those interested specifically in Felix Tikotin, this film should be of interest to those exploring the impact of World War II on art dealing or on Jewish families.