1940: Taking over French Cinema

Top 10 Billed Cast

Sarah-Jane Sauvegrain
Sarah-Jane Sauvegrain

Self (voice)

Louis-Émile Galey
Louis-Émile Galey

Self (archive footage)

Claude Heymann
Claude Heymann

Self (archive footage)

Jean Dréville
Jean Dréville

Self (archive footage)

Marcel Carné
Marcel Carné

Self (archive footage)

Raoul Ploquin
Raoul Ploquin

Self (voice) (archive footage)

Henri Calef
Henri Calef

Self (archive footage)

Jean-Paul Le Chanois
Jean-Paul Le Chanois

Self (archive footage)

Michel Duran
Michel Duran

Self (archive footage)

Henri-Georges Clouzot
Henri-Georges Clouzot

Self (archive footage)

Loading Trailer Videos...
  • HomePage

    1940, main basse sur le cinéma français

  • Overview

    Paris, 1940. German occupation forces create a new film production company, Continental, and put Alfred Greven – producer, cinephile, and opportunistic businessman – in charge. During the occupation, under Joseph Goebbels’s orders, Greven hires the best artists and technicians of French cinema to produce successful, highly entertaining films, which are also strategically devoid of propaganda. Simultaneously, he takes advantage of the confiscation of Jewish property to purchase film theaters, studios and laboratories, in order to control the whole production line. His goal: to create a European Hollywood. Among the thirty feature films thus produced under the auspices of Continental, several are, to this day, considered classics of French cinema.

  • Release Date

    2019-05-19

  • Average

    9

  • Rating:

    4.5 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    FrançaisDeutsch
  • Keywords

Similar Movies

8000 Stolen Futures: The Children at the Center of the A-Bomb
0%

8000 Stolen Futures: The Children at the Center of the A-Bomb(en)

2022-11-06

On August 6, 1945, the first-ever nuclear bomb deployed in war was dropped on the city of Hiroshima Prefecture, leaving an estimated 140,000 dead in its wake by the end of that year. Among the victims, one particular age group stands out for the sheer number of fatalities sustained: 12 and 13 year-olds, children of first year junior high school age. We investigate the tragedy of this lost generation, piecing together surviving records and speaking with survivors, for whom the memories of children robbed of their futures that day are still burned deep in their memories, nearly eight decades on.

Meet the Raisins!
62%

Meet the Raisins!(en)

1988-11-04

Meet the Raisins! spoofs musical documentaries with its use of anthropomorphic food characters. Through its historical perspective, the special also provided an opportunity to elaborate on the personalities and introduce names of the simple yet popular characters. It follows the California Raisins' humble beginnings, rise to musical success, fall from stardom, and eventual comeback. This includes "home movie" clips, scenes of the group's early days as the Vine-Yls, concert footage, and interviews with the people behind the success of the California Raisins including manager Rudy Begaman. The group is also shown performing various hit songs

Truman
76%

Truman(en)

1995-09-09

Biographical account of America's President for the latter part of WWII. Shows Truman's rise from small-town nobody to leader of the USA, his decision to use the Atomic Bomb against Japan, and subsequent election as the US' post-war President.

The Cruel Sea
70%

The Cruel Sea(en)

1953-02-24

At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom able to strike back. Traumatic events afloat and ashore create a warm bond between the skipper and his first officer

Kill 'Em All
0%

Kill 'Em All(es)

2023-08-02

Mila and María are two teenagers who get to know each other through video correspondences they send to each other. One day, they arrange to meet in person.

Timber Front
0%

Timber Front(en)

1940-01-01

This black-and-white archival film outlines the importance of Canada's forests in the national war effort during the Second World War.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Bloody Inscription
75%

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Bloody Inscription(ru)

1980-03-23

Holmes receives a message from Inspector Gregson (Igor Dmitriev) about a strange case in an abandoned house on Brixton Road: the body of an elderly American was found there, and the word "Revenge" is written in blood on the wall.

Teenage and Gay
0%

Teenage and Gay(en)

2015-09-18

A documentary that follows five British teenagers as they come out, capturing intimate first-hand experiences, and empathizing with them as they seek acceptance for their sexuality. From the 14-year-old footballer who describes herself as a ‘butch lesbian’ to the transgender boy forced out of home and school, the program features a cross-section of characters. Intimate, confessional, and raw, the film celebrates their bravery and exposes the ostracism and bullying they can suffer.

Darling, Mister Graphophone
0%

Darling, Mister Graphophone(en)

2024-07-10

A short, three minute documentary exploring audio recordings from the year 1894 to 1922, layered over home-footage from the year 1920 to 1985, as an indulgent social-commentary on our collective human experience as well as a testament to the everlasting nature of art.

Japan's War In Colour
80%

Japan's War In Colour(en)

2005-01-17

Using never-before-seen footage, Japan's War In Colour tells a previously untold story. It recounts the history of the Second World War from a Japanese perspective, combining original colour film with letters and diaries written by Japanese people. It tells the story of a nation at war from the diverse perspectives of those who lived through it: the leaders and the ordinary people, the oppressors and the victims, the guilty and the innocent. Until recently, it was believed that no colour film of Japan existed prior to 1945. But specialist research has now unearthed a remarkable colour record from as early as the 1930s. For eight years the Japanese fought what they believed was a Holy War that became a fight to the death. Japan's War In Colour shows how militarism took hold of the Japanese people; describes why Japan felt compelled to attack the West; explains what drove the Japanese to resist the Allies for so long; and, finally, reveals how they dealt with the shame of defeat.

Under The Greenwood Tree
60%

Under The Greenwood Tree(en)

2005-12-26

Set in a rustic English village in the mid 19th century, Under The Greenwood Tree tells the story of a poor young man who falls for a middle-class schoolteacher and attempts to win her over.

3rd Reich Mothers, in the Name of the Master Race
73%

3rd Reich Mothers, in the Name of the Master Race(fr)

2012-09-14

Two beautiful and different girls, Alice and Lisette are 17 years old, when forcibly removed from their Alsatian family to cooperate in the war effort in Germany. After spending six months in a indoctrination camp, they are both sent to a munitions factory where they are tasked to perform inhuman works. An explosion erupts, they are suspected of sabotage and threatened with being sent to a boot camp. Alice and Lisette believe they saved when transferred to a maternity where they continue living the hell of war.

Giiwe: Returning Home
0%

Giiwe: Returning Home(en)

2023-06-21

Following filmmaker Taye Alvis as he looks to reconnect to his community of Walpole Island First Nation. Taye will explore his relationship to Walpole Island, and how one can reconnect to their traditions and culture by way of conversation, arts, and recreation.

Blush: An Extraordinary Voyage
77%

Blush: An Extraordinary Voyage(fi)

2022-10-18

For 18-year-old Finnish–Kosovan Fatu, a simple visit to the grocery store feels as nerve-racking as a lunar expedition: for the first time in his life, he’s wearing makeup in public. Luckily his best friend Rai, a young woman on the spectrum of autism, is there to ferociously support him through the voyage.

Maigret Hesitates
80%

Maigret Hesitates(ru)

1982-12-13

My Father's Camera
0%

My Father's Camera(en)

2000-01-01

Home movies and their unique place in popular culture are the subject of My Father's Camera. Director Karen Shopsowitz weaves the history of home movies together with footage shot by her father--amateur filmmaker Israel Shopsowitz. Equipped with her dad's old Super 8 camera, Karen traces the history of home movies from the 1920s through to the amateur explosion of the '30s and '40s and beyond. She interviews a lively line-up of scholars and collectors, such as early members of the Toronto Film Club, a Japanese-American archivist who sees home movies as an expression of cultural diversity and a collector who hosts popular Webcasts that highlight new acquisitions.

Children playing with skipping rope
40%

Children playing with skipping rope(en)

1896-01-01

A group of children are encouraged to play in a park by two men. Some play a skipping game. One of the other children refuses and eventually runs away. Another child is fascinated by the camera and stares at it throughout, even when encouraged by one of the men to play. IN the background, traffic passes and pedestrians stroll past behind a railing on an upper level. The children wear sunhats, indicating the weather is very sunny.

Recommendations Movies

Mitterrand et la télé
87%

Mitterrand et la télé(fr)

2021-05-11

May 10th, 1981. François Mitterrand is elected President of the Republic. The “soviet tanks” supposedly coming upon the Champs-Élysées dressed in red, feared by some, did not march. Serge Moati takes a personal look at this episode, focusing on the relationship the president had with television, that he witnessed and played a role in.

The Absent One
70%

The Absent One(da)

2014-10-02

Denmark, 2014. A former police officer asks Carl Mørck, head of Department Q, to find out who brutally killed his young twins in 1994. Although a local inhabitant confessed and was convicted of murder, Carl and his partner Assad soon realize that there is something in the case resolution that is terribly wrong.

Shot Caller
70%

Shot Caller(en)

2017-07-13

A newly-released prison gangster is forced by the leaders of his gang to orchestrate a major crime with a brutal rival gang on the streets of Southern California.

Kleks Academy
61%

Kleks Academy(pl)

2024-01-05

A seemingly ordinary girl finds her way into the eponymous Academy to explore the world of fairy tales, imagination and creativity. With the help of a crazy, talented teacher, she develops her unique abilities and also stumbles upon a clue that will help her unravel the biggest secret of the family...

Evil Does Not Exist
67%

Evil Does Not Exist(ja)

2023-12-06

Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a camping site near Takumi's house offering city residents a comfortable "escape" to nature.

The Tunnel
64%

The Tunnel(no)

2019-12-25

When a truck crashes inside a tunnel, people on their way home for Christmas are brutally trapped in a deadly fire. With a blizzard raging outside, and the first responders struggling to get to the accident, it's every man for himself.

Flow
93%

Flow(en)

2012-11-14

After
71%

After(en)

2019-04-11

Tessa Young is a dedicated student, dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart. Entering her first semester of college, Tessa's guarded world opens up when she meets Hardin Scott, a mysterious and brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself -- and what she wants out of life.

Judas and the Black Messiah
73%

Judas and the Black Messiah(en)

2021-02-12

Bill O'Neal infiltrates the Black Panthers on the orders of FBI Agent Mitchell and J. Edgar Hoover. As Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton ascends—falling for a fellow revolutionary en route—a battle wages for O’Neal’s soul.

Gladiator II
68%

Gladiator II(en)

2024-11-13

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Dear Ex
72%

Dear Ex(zh)

2018-11-02

When Sanlian's ex-husband passes away, she discovers he has altered his insurance policy, cutting out their son in favor of a stranger named Jay.

The Velvet Queen
79%

The Velvet Queen(fr)

2021-12-15

High up on the Tibetan plateau. Amongst unexplored and inaccessible valleys lies one of the last sanctuaries of the wild world, where rare and undiscovered fauna lives. Vincent Munier, one of the world’s most renowned wildlife photographers takes the adventurer and novelist Sylvain Tesson (In the Forest of Siberia) with him on his latest mission. For several weeks, they’ll explore these valleys searching for unique animals and try to spot the snow leopard, one of the rarest and most difficult big cats to approach.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
81%

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri(en)

2017-12-01

After seven months have passed without a culprit in her daughter's murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at Bill Willoughby, the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Jason Dixon, an immature mother's boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.

The Accursed
65%

The Accursed(en)

2021-11-12

Hana spends twenty years suppressing a maleficent curse that was placed upon her bloodline, only to have a family member knowingly release it forcing her to kill or to be killed.

Away
64%

Away(lv)

2019-11-15

After suffering a plane crash on a mysterious island, a young man embarks on an epic journey through forests, deserts and mountains trying to escape the shadow of a huge dark spirit.

Quo Vadis, Aida?
76%

Quo Vadis, Aida?(sr)

2021-02-26

Bosnia, July 1995. Aida is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has access to crucial information that she needs to interpret. What is at the horizon for her family and people – rescue or death? Which move should she take?

Stillwater
66%

Stillwater(en)

2021-07-29

Bill Baker, an American oil-rig roughneck from Oklahoma, travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter, Allison, who is in prison for a murder she claims she did not commit. Confronted with language barriers, cultural differences, and a complicated legal system, Bill builds a new life for himself in France as he makes it his personal mission to exonerate his daughter.

The Front Runner
59%

The Front Runner(en)

2018-11-06

Gary Hart, former Senator of Colorado, becomes the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1987. Hart's intelligence, charisma and idealism makes him popular with young voters, leaving him with a seemingly clear path to the White House. All that comes crashing down when allegations of an extramarital affair surface in the media, forcing the candidate to address a scandal that threatens to derail his campaign and personal life.