Clouzot tries to unveil the mystery of Picasso's talent and sets to record his creative process by using transparent canvases that will allow the viewer to see how the paintings emerge on the canvas. Picasso accepts the challenge. Much more than a documentary, this film was declared a national treasure by the French government in 1984. Shooting the process is cinematographer Claude Renoir, grandson of the great painter who had also worked alongside his uncle, Jean Renoir, on several films, like The Grand Illusion.