Killer Instincts: Richard Widmark and Ida Lupino at Twentieth Century Fox

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.

Pictures of Europe

April 1990 •English

What makes European cinema so special? Find out in Paul Joyce’s feature-length documentary, Pictures of Europe, which examines the differences between American independent and Hollywood movies and films from European directors. Featuring luminary iconoclasts from European cinema such as Agnes Varda, Bernardo Bertolucci and Pedro Almodovar, as well as American counterpoints from Paul Schrader, and those who have crossed back and forth, such as Paul Verhoeven

The Five Obstructions

November 2003 •Danish

Lars von Trier challenges his mentor, filmmaker Jørgen Leth, to remake Leth’s 1967 short film The Perfect Human five times, each with a different set of bizarre and challenging rules.

The Dinosaur

March 2021 •Finnish

Acclaimed Finnish director Rauni Mollberg made several scandalous yet widely appreciated films. Former co-worker Veikko Aaltonen’s eye-opening documentary The Dinosaur looks at the relentless, often disturbing directing techniques behind Mollberg’s art and success.

Prayers to the Gods of Guerrilla Filmmaking

June 2019 •English

A crew of filmmakers shoot undercover on the streets of Hong Kong with hidden microphones and no permits. The city becomes a giant set as mounting tension and ego clashes push tempers to breaking point.

Tax Shelter Terrors

December 2017 •English

The first feature-length documentary that fully explores how the toxic social and political Canadian context after 1968 created some of the most nihilistic and imaginative Canadian cult films of the 1970s and 80s and beyond.

L'Acteur (ou la surprenante vertu de l'incompréhension)

June 2023 •French

Raphaël is an actor. For the first time, he has the lead role in a feature film. No one understands why he was chosen. In fact, no one really understands him.

Wicked Wishes: Making the Wishmaster

January 1997 •English

Happy Birthday Mr Bean

January 2021 •English

A celebratory documentary looking back at the 30 years since comedy legend Mr Bean landed on our screens. This documentary explores the magic behind this unlikely hero.

Un film (autoportrait)

May 1984 •French

The shooting diary of a film shot in France and in the United States. Using photos of Paris and of New York City, excerpts of his former films, statements by friends of his and shooting sequences of the film itself, tormented filmmaker Marcel Hanoun has made a heterogeneous and unclassifiable film about the difficulty of filming.

Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story

January 2021 •German

In 1981, a film about the misadventures of a German U-boat crew in 1941 becomes a worldwide hit almost four decades after the end of the World War II. Millions of viewers worldwide make Das Boot the most internationally successful German film of all time. But due to disputes over the script, accidents on the set, and voices accusing the makers of glorifying the war, the project was many times on the verge of being cancelled.

They Bite!: The Making of Critters

November 2018 •English

Documentary about the original 1986 film Critters. Features interviews with actors Dee Wallace, Don Opper, Terrence Mann, and Lin Shaye; producer Barry Opper; writer Brian Muir; critter designers and voice actors; and many more.

Remembering Ragtime

November 2004 •English

Memories from the making of the classic Milos Forman film "Ragtime".

Room 999

October 2023 •French

In 1982, Wim Wenders asked 16 of his fellow directors to speak on the future of cinema, resulting in the film Room 666. Now, 40 years later, in Cannes, director Lubna Playoust asks Wim Wenders himself and a new generation of filmmakers (James Gray, Rebecca Zlotowski, Claire Denis, Olivier Assayas, Nadav Lapid, Asghar Farhadi, Alice Rohrwacher and more) the same question: “is cinema a language about to get lost, an art about to die?”

Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life

April 1981 •English

Former Disney child star Hayley Mills returns to the Walt Disney Studio for a look at the techniques of animated film production, with various veteran Disney animators illustrating said techniques.

Mel Gibson Goes Back to School

January 1991 •English

Mel Gibson teaches Hamlet to a group of high school drama students.

The Unknown Peter Sellers

April 2000 •English

Documentary about the life and career of a comic genius, Peter Sellers.

John Ford Goes to War

January 2002 •English

When World War II broke out, John Ford, in his forties, commissioned in the Naval Reserve, was put in charge of the Field Photographic Unit by Bill Donavan, director of the soon-to-be-OSS. During the war, Field Photo made at least 87 documentaries, many with Ford's signature attention to heroism and loss, and many from the point of view of the fighting soldier and sailor. Talking heads discuss Ford's life and personality, the ways that the war gave him fulfillment, and the ways that his war films embodied the same values and conflicts that his Hollywood films did. Among the films profiled are "Battle of Midway," "Torpedo Squadron," "Sexual Hygiene," and "December 7."

Hellborn

January 1993 •English

Conrad Brooks discusses "Hellborn," his unfinished movie with Ed Wood, and other projects

Yakutia — Between The Worlds

September 2024 •Russian

A documentary road movie. Traveling across his homeland, the filmmaker explores what Yakut cinema is, and what it means to the Sakha people and to himself.