Visions of Light

Basquiat

August 1996 •English

The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.

Easter Parade: On the Avenue

March 2005 •English

This documentary tells the story of the making of Irving Berlin's Easter Parade.

Cinecittà, de Mussolini à la Dolce Vita

May 2021 •French

Cinecitta is today known as the center of the Italian film industry. But there is a dark past. The film city was solemnly inaugurated in 1937 by Mussolini. Here, propaganda films would be produced to strengthen the dictator's position.

Batman & Bill

May 2017 •English

Everyone thinks that Bob Kane created Batman, but that’s not the whole truth. One author makes it his crusade to make it known that Bill Finger, a struggling writer, actually helped invent the iconic superhero, from concept to costume to the very character we all know and love. Bruce Wayne may be Batman’s secret identity, but his creator was always a true mystery.

Old Tucson: Where the Legends Walked

May 2007 •English

Tells the story of Tucson and the legendary movies that were shot there.

Tensions and Traditions: Molly Haskell on Red River

August 2014 •English

Interview with critic Molly Haskell about Hawks and Red River

A Film of Firsts: Peter Bogdanovich on Red River

July 2014 •English

Interview with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich about Red River and the two versions of the film.

The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster

November 2002 •English

The history of Frankenstein's journey from novel to stage to screen to icon.

Gina Carano in Training

May 2012 •English

A Hero's Journey: The Making of Percy Jackson and the Olympians

January 2024 •English

Alongside a passionate cast and crew, follow Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri as they step into worlds fit for gods, battle unforgettable creatures, and perform legendary stunts.

James Ensor: Demons Teasing Me

October 2010 •English

This film explains what James Ensor (1860-1949) meant for the development of art and makes palpable where he got his inspiration from.

Citizen B

January 2025 •French

Documentary on Ciby 2000, the French film production company founded by Francis Bouygues in 1990.

Juzo Itami: The Man with 13 Faces

January 2007 •Japanese

A documentary about the legendary Japanese filmmaker.

Beyond Horror: The History and Sub-Culture of Red Films

October 2019 •English

Delves into the history of the most extreme and shocking films that have ever been made. chronicles the timeline of Red Films: those films that are too extreme for the mainstream and historically have been circulated via the bootleg circuit.

The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga

April 2019 •Spanish

Japan, 1954. A legend emerges from the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, devastated by atomic bombs in 1945. The creature's name is Godzilla. The film that tells its story is the first of kaiju eiga, the giant monster movies.

The Prince of Nothingwood

June 2017 •French

French documentarist Sonia Kronlund follows actor and director Salim Shaheen, an Afghan movie star who produced more than 110 low-budget movies in a country devastated by war.

1895

May 1995 •Estonian

1895 is a picture about the life of brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere, who have immortalized their names as inventors of cinematography. What inspired them?

Sexo en el plató

April 2007 •Spanish

How are the sex scenes filmed? What tricks are used to fake the desire? How do the interpreters prepare and feel? Spanish actors and directors talk about the most intimate side of acting, about the tricks and work methods when narrating exposed sex. In Spain the general rule is that there are no rules. Each film, each interpreter, faces it in very different ways.

The Genius of Gothic Art

May 2021 •German

Death and the devil, nudity and eroticism, horror in blazing colours, Gothic art cast a spell over people 500 years ago. In these image-poor times, art deliberately and skilfully played with the emotions of the viewer, triggering fear, devotion, but also rapture. Art documentary on German gothic art of the late-middle ages.

Some of the Best

January 1944 •English

This film features highlights of MGM's productions from 1924 through 1943, in honor of the studio's twentieth anniversary.