BY KAREN BOSSICK

Swiss-German painter Paul Klee managed to escape Germany in 1933 when he and other modern artists were vilified by the rising Nazi Party. But he was unable to escape a rare, mysterious disease that began wreaking havoc on his body as he took up his new residence in Switzerland.

Systemic scleroderma, a rare autoimmune rheumatic disease that scars skin and internal organs,  profoundly changed his artwork. But it also offered powerful messages that Ken August Meyer used to cope with his own mortality after he was diagnosed with the same disease.

Meyer created a film based on Klee’s and his own struggles called “Angel Applicant.” The film uses colorful, whimsical visuals to depict the mystique and ironic wit of Klee, demonstrating how creativity can inspire people to overcome personal suffering and make the most of life.

And the Sun Valley Museum of Art is showing it as part of its new exhibition Bodies of Work, which explores the healing properties of art.

The film will be shown at 4:30 p.m. today—Jan. 25—at Magic Lantern Cinemas in Ketchum. Tickets are $10 for members and $12 for nonmembers. Magic Lantern Cinemas is a cash-only movie theater.