Jean-Michel Basquiat, the First Portrait of the Artist Approved by His Heirs

Jean-Michel Basquiat is a documentary that revisits the artist’s life through memories from family and friends, previously unseen works, and rare archival material. Approved and supported by Basquiat’

Jean-Michel Basquiat is a documentary that revisits Jean-Michel Basquiat, the painter who achieved worldwide fame, not as a myth but through the life of a person. It traces his journey through the memories of family and close acquaintances, previously unseen works, and rare archival footage. The film will premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival before being released on Netflix in the United States on December 11. It has a runtime of 97 minutes.

The First Film Approved by His Heirs

This is the first documentary to receive the support and approval of the Basquiat family. His sisters Jeanine Heriveaux and Lisane Basquiat, who are involved in managing his estate, supported the project. While addressing a name that has already become an icon in museums, fashion, and popular culture, the film focuses on restoring the family memories and personal side hidden behind that icon.

Combining Different Records

Directors Quinn Whitney Wilson and Virgil Abloh juxtapose interview testimony, artwork, and archival footage. Unlike approaches that define an artist through analysis of their work alone, the film examines the relationships and environment that shaped Basquiat through the voices of those who lived and worked alongside him. The existence of previously unreleased material is a key device in narrowing the distance between the widely known image of the artist and the person he really was.

After 1980s New York

Basquiat rose rapidly from street art to the center of New York’s art world in the 1980s. The film uses this rise and his cultural influence, which continues to this day, as its backdrop, while looking into the multifaceted life of an artist rather than presenting a chronology of his fame. Boardwalk Pictures, Indus Valley Media, and Radiant Media Studios participated in the production.