Plot

A successful artist looks back with loving memories on the summer of his defining year, 1974. A talented but troubled 18-year-old aspiring artist befriends a brilliant elderly alcoholic painter who has turned his back on not only art but life. The two form what appears to be at first a tenuous relationship. The kid wants to learn all the secrets the master has locked away inside his head and heart. Time has not been kind to the old master. His life appears pointless to him until the kid rekindles his interest in his work and ultimately gives him the will to live. Together, they give one another a priceless gift. The kid learns to see the world through the master's eyes. And the master learns to see life through the eyes of innocence again. This story is based on a real life experience.—George Gallo

An young boy, whose only interest is in painting, is excited to meet an old-aged renowned painter. Despite harsh behavior of the painter, the young wants him to be his teacher. The painter agrees. Both travel to countryside. But it turns out be a bitter experience for the young. The teacher not only hates his own subject, but also lost hope in life by his wife's demise many years ago. The turning point happens during their visit to a children home where the teacher relishes himself in teaching physically challenged students. The young then realizes that art in the teacher is still alive but hates it merely due to its present trends. The rest of the story is about how the duo learn a valuable lesson from each other.—cherukupally srikanth

In 1974, in the suburb of Port Chester, New York, an aspiring teenage artist named John Talia has a troubled relationship with his deeply insecure father who does not understand his talent. While visiting his friend Yammi, John finds that the genius Russian painter Nicoli Seroff lives nearby, and he decides to pay a visit to his hero. John finds a bitter alcoholic elder who still grieves the loss of his wife Anya many years ago, but he successfully befriends the master. When Nicoli travels to the countryside in Pennsylvania for the summer, he invites John to go with him to teach him how to paint. Then John meets Nicoli's neighbor Carla, who grieves over the loss of her son, and the arrogant critic of art and Nicolai's friend Curtis Sunday. During their vacation, the teacher-student relationship between Nicoli and John improves their individual lives.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil