“(An) excellent hour investigating the relatively unknown countenance of William Shakespeare. (…) The detective work is fascinating to witness, so too are the attitudes, both snooty and awestruck, from celebrated art dealers and collectors.”
Catherine Dawson March – The Globe and Mail

“Elegantly shot, fluidly edited,
emanating an air of mystery”
Maurie Alioff – Northerstars.ca

“Battle of Wills is full of nuggets of intrigue”
Christine Finn - The Sunday Times

Short summary:

Part historical mystery, part sci-fi thriller, Battle of Wills tells the compelling story of the Sanders portrait, a painting with a controversial claim to be the only image of Shakespeare taken from life.

Long summary:

Battle of Wills tells a story of obsession and intrigue in the art world. Lloyd Sullivan believes he owns the only portrait of Shakespeare done from life, created in 1603 by an ancestor who was a bit actor in Shakespeare's troupe. Thirteen scientific tests have proven that the Sanders portrait is an unaltered painting from the early 17th century. But is it Shakespeare? Lloyd Sullivan is risking his lifetime's savings to prove that it is. Battle of Wills travels from the high tech labs of North America, to the art galleries of Bond Street and the wind-swept castles of the English Midlands to unravel the mystery behind a painting that shook the art world.

Internet links:

FIFA (International Festival of Films on Art)
The Sunday Times (Review, March 22, 2009)
Northern Stars (Review, April 2009)
The Globe and Mail (Review, April 11, 2009)
The Globe and Mail (Review, June 5, 2009)