Al Pacino to play Dali the faker

A new film about Salvador Dali, in which Al Pacino will play the legendary Spanish surrealist, is causing controversy because it asserts that most of Dali's later art works were fakes.

The book upon which the film is based, a memoir entitled Dali & I, written by Belgian art dealer Stan Lauryssens, claims that the majority of the painter's works executed from the 1960s were counterfeits. Talking about the film to the Independent, Lauryssens, who was chased for years by Interpol and eventually imprisoned for selling thousands of fake Dalis, said: "The film will tell the story of how I sold thousands of fake Salvador Dali paintings and how Dali himself knew and approved of the whole industry that dealt in his fake works."

Lauryssens's claims are controversial because he alleges that the majority of these 'faked' works were not touched by the artist, but churned out by an army of assistants, which could possibly make them worthless on the secondary market. He says: "I would say up to 75 per cent of all the works out there attributed to Dali were not done by him," said Lauryssens.

However, the foundation that controls Dali's estate vehemently denies his claims. Said a spokesman: "The contents of Dali & I lack the most minimal credibility. These falsehoods can only be explained as part of a promotional campaign for the book and the film, which will be realised in the complete absence of any historical, artistic or ethical rigour."

Thus far no legal action has been taken, but this may all change when the movie begins shooting. ·