Return to Departure: The Biography of a Painting (or, Watching a Pigment Dry and Other Realisms) is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Kirk Tougas and released in 1986. The film centres on painter Chi O'Farrell, documenting his process from start to finish of creating his painting "Return to Departure", against a soundtrack consisting largely of radio talk and music with some narration by O'Farrell about his own thoughts on the painting.

The film received a Genie Award nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary at the 8th Genie Awards in 1987.