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F for Fake
A magician is just an actor playing the part of a magician.
1973 | 89m | French
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Orson Welles, François Reichenbach, Gary Graver, Oja Kodar |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Orson Welles |
| Staring: |
| Documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others. | |
| Release Date: | Sep 01, 1973 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Orson Welles, François Reichenbach, Gary Graver, Oja Kodar |
| Writer: | Orson Welles |
| Genres: | Documentary |
| Keywords | artist, manipulation, illusion, ibiza, deception, essay film, forgery, forger, trickery |
| Production Companies | Janus Film und Fernsehen, Les Films de l'Astrophore, SACI |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 20, 2026 Entered: Feb 15, 2025 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Orson Welles | Self |
| Oja Kodar | The Girl |
| Elmyr de Hory | Self |
| Clifford Irving | Self |
| Laurence Harvey | Self |
| Edith Irving | Self |
| David Walsh | Self |
| Paul Stewart | Self |
| Richard Wilson | Self |
| Joseph Cotten | Self |
| Howard Hughes | Self (archive footage) |
| Richard Drewett | Self |
| Alexander Welles | Self |
| Gary Graver | Self |
| Andrés Vicente Gómez | Self |
| Julio Palinkas | Self |
| Christian Odasso | Self |
| Françoise Widhoff | Self |
| Peter Bogdanovich | Self |
| William Alland | Self |
| Mark Forgy | Self |
| Nina van Pallandt | Self |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Orson Welles | Writer, Director, Editor |
| Michel Legrand | Original Music Composer |
| François Reichenbach | Director of Photography, Co-Director |
| Gary Graver | Additional Photography, Co-Director |
| Marie-Sophie Dubus | Editor |
| Christian Odasso | Additional Photography |
| Paul Bertault | Sound Mixer |
| Dominique Engerer | Editor |
| Oja Kodar | Co-Writer, Co-Director |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Richard Drewett | Associate Producer |
| François Reichenbach | Executive Producer |
| Dominique Antoine | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 7 |
| 2024 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 7 |
| 2024 | 6 | 13 | 22 | 7 |
| 2024 | 7 | 15 | 33 | 9 |
| 2024 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 6 |
| 2024 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 5 |
| 2024 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 6 |
| 2025 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 31 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 4 | 25 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Trending Position
C_Hickcock
10.0
This movie is a masterpiece -- it is equal parts an insightful essay, a magic trick and a prank. Welles considered it a new type of film -- its subject matter explores what is a forgery/counterfeit vs. what is authentic and the film wrestles with its subject by blurring those lines in a way that is ... both entertaining and fun. It's a masterclass in editing and a must for any student of filmmaking.
Nov 08, 2025