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Unfinished

Alastair Sooke explores the appeal of unfinished works of art. He talks to those who have attempted to finish them and those who believe that any such task is impossible.

Alastair Sooke explores the mysterious appeal of unfinished works of art. From Dickens's unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Jane Austen's Sanditon to Coleridge's Kubla Khan, he talks to those who have attempted to finish these literary enigmas and those who believe that any such task is impossible.

In a film that picks through literature's leftovers, Sooke explores the moral dilemmas as well as the commercial opportunities finishing presents. And he considers how, in the modern era, artists have purposefully left their work unfinished.

Paul Morley, Mark Lawson, John Mullan, Robert McKee, Sarah Churchwell, Gwyneth Hughes, Andrew Motion and Mike Figgis amongst others, help Sooke work his way through a never-ending story.

1 hour

Last on

Thu 12 Jan 2012 21:00

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Alastair Sooke
Executive Producer Franny Moyle
Producer Sarah Barclay
Director Sarah Barclay
Participant Paul Morley
Participant Mark Lawson
Participant John Mullan
Participant Robert McKee
Participant Sarah Churchwell
Participant Andrew Motion
Participant Mike Figgis

Broadcast