Carina Chocano / “My Kid Could Paint That”

There are lots of reasons to check out Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary “My Kid Could Paint That,” so I’ll just stick to one. It’s the story of a little girl called Marla Olmstead, who, due to an unusual but predictable confluence of events, became an international art star. Backlash followed media frenzy (doesn’t it always?), and a few months later Marla’s father was accused of “coaching” her and Marla was branded a fraud. She was 4 at the time. The movie raises questions about the limits of authorship and the value of modern art. The most fascinating thing about the film is how it sheds light on the fear and loathing of anything that challenges commonly held assumptions, art especially, and the media’s role in perpetuating both. We like our “geniuses” madly channeling divine inspiration, thank you. Like holy men, or mediums.