F for Fake (1973)

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.

Genres: Documentary

What to watch after F for Fake

• Sans Soleil (1983) — Two steps away in the credits
• They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018) — Orson Welles appears in both
• Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) — Two steps away in the credits
• The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006) — Same feel: smart, philosophical
• Tim's Vermeer (2013)
• Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) — Same feel: smart, thought-provoking