France, le plus beau décor de cinéma

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat

June 1896 •French

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.

Walt Disney's 'The Jungle Book': The Making of a Musical Masterpiece

October 1997 •English

Documentary about the making of Disney's animated musical adaptation of Kipling's classic.

Documentary for the Recently Deceased: The Making of Beetlejuice

Invalid date •English

A documentary about Tim Burton's iconic 1988 fantasy comedy Beetlejuice, covering all the aspects of production: from filming in East Corinth, Vermont, to the stop-motion and special effects work, as well as a series of exclusive interviews and rare behind the scenes archives.

In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema

September 2007 •English

This documentary captures the sounds and images of a nearly forgotten era in film history when African American filmmakers and studios created “race movies” exclusively for black audiences. The best of these films attempted to counter the demeaning stereotypes of black Americans prevalent in the popular culture of the day. About 500 films were produced, yet only about 100 still exist. Filmmaking pioneers like Oscar Micheaux, the Noble brothers, and Spencer Williams, Jr. left a lasting influence on black filmmakers, and inspired generations of audiences who finally saw their own lives reflected on the silver screen.

C'est qui la plus belle ? Le making of de Blonde aux yeux bleus

January 2017 •French

21 rue la Boétie

March 2017 •French

Katy Perry: Making of the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show

December 2015 •English

A behind-the-scenes documentary pieced together from over 100 hours of footage showing not just the preparation that went into Katy Perry's Super Bowl performance but the nerve it took to pull off such a massive, career-defining performance.

Un été à la Garoupe

November 2020 •French

La Garoupe, a beach in Antibes, in 1937. For one summer, the painter and photographer Man Ray films his friends Pablo Picasso, Dora Maar, Paul Eluard and his wife Nusch, as well as Lee Miller. During these few weeks, love, friendship, poetry, photography and painting are still mixed in the carefree and the creativity specific to the artistic movements of the interwar period.

Common Ground: Under Construction Notes

September 2007 •Spanish

The making of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel is chronicled through an observational approach that captures the creative and logistical challenges of filming a deeply interconnected narrative across four continents. Directed by Carlos Armella and Pedro González-Rubio, the documentary reveals Iñárritu’s commitment to authenticity and cultural sensitivity, from collaborating with local actors and communities to meticulously recreating environments. Through behind-the-scenes footage and the director’s reflective commentary, it delves into themes of human connection, the boundaries we hold within ourselves, and the visceral nature of communication, offering profound insights into the philosophy behind the acclaimed film.

From Manila with Love

June 2011 •English

Retrospective documentary on the making of the 70's women-in-prison exploitation cult favorites "The Big Doll House" and "The Big Bird Cage".

Mitterrand, président culturel

May 2021 •French

On the occasion of the fourty years anniversary of François Mitterand's election, a look back to the relationship between the President and artists, from admiration to manipulation.

The Making of King Arthur

August 2004 •English

Short documentary of the making of Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur (2004).

Star Trek: The Captain's Summit

April 2009 •English

The Captains' Summit documents the first time in Star Trek history that four stars who at some point have played Captains in Star Trek (William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Leonard Nimoy, Jonathan Frakes) have been brought together for a 70-minute rare and unprecedented round table event. Whoopi Goldberg, star of Star Trek: The Next Generation, hosts the event.

Overnight

June 2003 •English

Alternately hilarious and horrifying, Overnight chronicles one man's misadventures of making a Hollywood movie. It starts out as a rags to riches story as Troy Duffy, a Boston-bred bartender, sells his first screenplay for The Boondock Saints.

Spider-Man 2: Making the Amazing

November 2004 •English

A comprehensive 12-part documentary on the making of "Spider-Man 2," covering everything from pre-production to premiere.

Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions

August 2017 •French

The greatness, fall and renaissance of Hammer, the flagship company of British popular cinema, mainly from 1955 to 1968. Tortured women and sadistic monsters populated oppressive scenarios in provocative productions that shocked censorship and disgusted critics but fascinated the public. Movies in which horror was shown in offensive colors: dreadful stories, told without prejudices, that offered fear, blood, sex and stunning performances.

Belmondo l'incorrigible

September 2022 •French

Charismatic and resourceful, seducer and daredevil, Jean-Paul Belmondo has always played his roles as he lived, at a thousand miles an hour. He had only one passion: to entertain the public with his smile, his naturalness, his energy, his stunts. But contrary to appearances, his destiny was full of pitfalls. This film lifts the veil on a founding childhood that allowed him to overcome many obstacles throughout his life thanks to the tutelary figures of his father and mother. Told from the inside with the help of his autobiography, interviews and unpublished archives, this epic story traces the career of this turbulent young actor who launched the New Wave in Breathless before becoming the popular Bebel, an indestructible and provocative vigilante. From film to film, this documentary paints an intimate portrait of a man who built himself up to reach the top: his triumphs but also his trials, his doubts, his secrets, his angers, his clowning, his disappointments or his personal dramas.

L'aventure HUMAN

January 2015 •French

Zombies in the Sugar Cane Field: The Documentary

November 2019 •Spanish

Tucumán, Argentina, 1965. Three years before George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead was released, director Ofelio Linares Montt shot Zombies in the Sugar Cane Field, which turned out to be both a horror film and a political statement. It was a success in the US, but could not be shown in Argentina due to Juan Carlos Onganía's dictatorship, and was eventually lost. Writer and researcher Luciano Saracino embarks on the search for the origins of this cursed work.

The Making of Priscilla

November 2023 •English

An exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Liv McNeil’s documentary sparkles with an infectious enthusiasm for the magic of cinema. From visual moodboards to the creation of Graceland, this engaging short reveals the extraordinary craft behind the making of a dark fairytale.