Paris exposition films(1900)

Cinéastes de notre temps : Erich von Stroheim(fr)

Filmmakers of Our Time: François Truffaut or the Critical Spirit(fr)

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory(fr)

Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat(fr)

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City(de)

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

Mucha: The Story of an Artist Who Created a Style(cs)

Czech painter and illustrator Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) ranks among the pioneers of the Art Nouveau movement at the end of the 19th century. Virtually overnight, he becomes famous in Paris thanks to the posters that he designs to announce actress Sarah Bernhardt’s plays. But at the height of his fame, Mucha decides to leave Paris to realize his lifetime project.

Metro(fr)

A short documentary about the construction of the parisian subway in the 50s.

Verräter(de)

Documentary on the former border patrol sergeant Klein. Klein deserted in 1961, defected to the enemy and betrayed state and military secrets. He was caught by the security forces.

Kreuz über der Großstadt(de)

Documentary about the Protestant Church

Rot Sport marschiert(de)

Documentary about the "Kampfgemeinschaft für Rote Sporteinheit", a communist workers' sports association in the final phase of the Weimar Republic.

Besuch des Zaren auf der russischen Botschaft(de)

The Tsar visits the Russian embassy

Die Wildnis stirbt!(de)

A reportage cross-cutting film about the development of Africa from 1900-1936, using archive footage and film material from earlier African expeditions.

Hakenkreuz am Stahlhelm(de)

The film shows the various stages of the Stahlhelm's integration into the NSDAP and the Third Reich.

Der Nürnberger Parteitag der Nationalsozialistischen Deutschen Arbeiterpartei(de)

A film about the Nuremberg Party Congress of the NSDAP in 1929.

Das Buch der Deutschen(de)

The film shows the manufacture of a luxury edition of "Mein Kampf" on real parchment, handwritten.

Schutzwall(de)

The 5th anniversary of the inner-German wall to West Germany and West Berlin is on the agenda. The necessity of erecting the border is illustrated by comparing the situation in 1939 and the situation in the summer of 1961 with regard to the "threat of intervention" by the Western powers. Berlin people and GDR border guards are interviewed.

Carmencita(xx)

The first woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the first woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States. In the film, Carmencita is recorded going through a routine she had been performing at Koster & Bial's in New York since February 1890.

Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris(en)

In 1970, a British film crew set out to make a straightforward literary portrait of James Baldwin set in Paris, insisting on setting aside his political activism. Baldwin bristled at their questions, and the result is a fascinating, confrontational, often uncomfortable butting of heads between the filmmakers and their subject, in which the author visits the Bastille and other Parisian landmarks and reflects on revolution, colonialism, and what it means to be a Black expatriate in Europe.

Dark Days(en)

A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.

Croissance de Paris(fr)