2016-12-11
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On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Matisse's birth and of the exhibition at the Center Pompidou which will be dedicated to him in 2020, this art documentary brings us back to life of the journeys made by Matisse that influenced his art. And particularly his last trip to Polynesia in 1930 which will bring him to the threshold of contemporary art with the invention of his gouache cut-out papers.
The surrealist painter René Magritte questions the objective reality and emphasizes the arbitrariness of the relationship between an object, its image and its name: the evocation of mystery consists of images of familiar things gathered or transformed in such a way that they no longer conform to our ideas, whether naive or wise.
In the first half of the 19th century, the French ornithologist Jean-Jacques Audubon travelled to America to depict birdlife along the Mississippi River. Audubon was also a gifted painter. His life’s work in the form of the classic book ‘Birds of America’ is an invaluable documentation of both extinct species and an entire world of imagination. During the same period, early industrialisation and the expulsion of indigenous peoples was in full swing. The gorgeous film traces Audubon’s path around the South today. The displaced people’s descendants welcome us and retell history, while the deserted vistas of heavy industry stretch across the horizon. The magnificent, broad images in Jacques Loeuille’s atmospheric, modern adventure reminds us at the same time how little - and yet how much - is left of the nature that Audubon travelled around in. His paintings of the colourful birdlife of the South still belong to the most beautiful things you can imagine.
Explore the life and work of the painter who formed a bridge between the Impressionist and Cubist art movements at the turn of the century.
Toulouse-Lautrec's sketchbooks are turned into an animated short.
Leaving the studio to go out and capture real life: that was the impressionist aesthetic. Claude Monet was its most famous proponent and artist. This documentary reveals the places that inspired the painter during his lifetime.
Focusing on his unique creative process, Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers explores the artist’s years in the south of France, where he revolutionised his style. Van Gogh became consumed with a passion for storytelling in his art, turning the world around him into vibrant, idealised spaces and symbolic characters. Poets and lovers filled his imagination; everything he did in the south of France served this new obsession. In part, this is what caused his notorious breakdown, but it didn’t hold back his creativity as he created masterpiece after masterpiece.
"Beethoven in Beijing" starts with a forgotten moment in history —the first American orchestra's visit to communist China. The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 1973 tour was a gesture of cultural diplomacy that resonates still today, as the revival of classical music in China energizes the world of music.
An elixir to our current state, "Dear Santa" takes us on the fanciful and poignant journey of a little known program called Operation Santa. For more than 100 years, human elves have been helping Santa respond to the thousands of letters children write and mail to him. This gripping documentary crisscrosses the country, following the most emotional letters as the elves work hard to make sure each child’s Christmas dreams come true.
Hour by hour the ancient face of repeated / Beings changes, and hour by hour, / Thinking, we get older. / Everything passes, unknown, and the knower / Who remains knows he knows not. / But nothing, Aware or unaware, returns. / Equals, therefore, of what isn’t our equal, / Let us preserve, in the heat we remember, / The flame of the spent hour. Ricardo Reis (Fernando Pessoa)
A film about the London repertory cinema the Scala, noted for its eclectic and sometimes controversial programmes, which changed daily. Management, staff and audience members are interviewed about the cinema's history and notable events, which included themed parties and personal appearances by film-makers.
A documentary about the Athens underground rave scene that explores and narrates different quests for the gender, body and society, through music and dance. A cinematographic journey into the night, desire and transformation.
"Hell or High Seas" follows U.S. Navy veteran Taylor Grieger and writer Stephen O’Shea on the adventure of a lifetime. As the two sail around Cape Horn – the world’s most treacherous ocean waters – to raise awareness about veteran suicide, Taylor finds healing from his own painful journey with PTSD.
A road movie with music. A song-soaked, foot-stomping trip straight to the heart of what it means to be Mexican, and to be American, and the complex joy of being both at the same time.
A documentary adventure recounting the incredible life story of British-born Amazonian cowboy turned US TV star, Stan Brock, who sacrificed everything to bring free healthcare to people in need. At once a heart-warming tribute to the unifying power of volunteerism, and an exploration of a perennial outsider’s search for meaning through giving of himself. This film is a challenging and inspirational tale of an unlikely man on an improbable and unwavering mission to resolve one of the biggest social issues of our time; the US healthcare crisis.