THE FILM
Ugo: An Artist at War is the last great American World War II story. And a love story. And the story of an unknown master painting whose final works brought him peace from a lifetime of PTSD.
On D-Day Private Ugo Giannini got isolated on a bluff above Bloody Omaha Beach and waited. When no one caught up to him...he drew the horrors he had just experienced crossing the beach.
In all, 27 of Ugo's personal wartime sketches are in the U.S. Army Museum outside of D.C.​
After the war Ugo studied painting under French legend Fernand Léger and finished his life with a series of paintings dedicated to his war experience.
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Ugo's art becomes both a lifeline and a language—one that allows him to express memories and emotions that words alone cannot capture. ​
Ugo's wife Maxine leads us through this story with an eloquence not often heard these days.
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Through Ugo's war correspondence, his drawings, photos, and finally his paintings we understand an artist who needed to make his mark...and how Maxine discovered - one clue at a time - what her husband had hidden from her during 37 years of marriage.
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THE JOURNEY
In 2020 Director Steve Nemsick met his neighbor Maxine Giannini and he new she was special. When he read her book Drawing D-Day, An Artist at War, he new he had to make this film.
Ever since Ugo's death Maxine has been resolute about preserving the legacy of his extraordinary wartime sketches and his masterful paintings, especially his final series of paintings based off of the war.
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Maxine is no lightweight. At a time where women were rarely appreciated outside of the kitchen, Maxine was a painter, did a museum tour of Europe by herself, became an accomplished pianist in a lineage of teachers going back directly to Beethoven, got herself a college education and raised a family with her beloved Ugo. Ten years younger than Ugo, it was still her intellect along with her beauty and kindness that made her stand out for him. Maxine's eloquence, depth and love shine through in every frame.
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The soundtrack is by two of Maxine's former piano students, Adam and Ben Kaplan. They first played for her at age 9 and quickly won her over - no easy task.
Composing music for a film featuring Maxine is no less than an "honor" for them.
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THE MISSION
THE TRAILER
Ugo: An Artist at War is a portrait of personal resilience that reveals how shell-shock, what we now call PTSD, can shape the life of a war veteran long after the fighting ends: sleepless nights, flashbacks, emotional isolation, and the struggle to reconnect with loved ones.
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This film is a call to understanding and in turn, action. The director had family who fought in WW2 and suffered from PTSD as well as a friend who's a Veteran from Operation Desert Storm who suffers from depression and chemical exposure.
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Each of us can help our Veterans and this film provides understanding and inspiration.
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