Sauver Notre-Dame

Gray Matters

May 2016 •English

Gray Matters explores the long, fascinating life and complicated career of architect and designer Eileen Gray, whose uncompromising vision defined and defied the practice of modernism in decoration, design and architecture. Making a reputation with her traditional lacquer work in the first decade of the 20th century, she became a critically acclaimed and sought after designer and decorator in the next before reinventing herself as an architect, a field in which she laboured largely in obscurity. Apart from the accolades that greeted her first building –persistently and perversely credited to her mentor–her pioneering work was done quietly, privately and to her own specifications. But she lived long enough (98) to be re-discovered and acclaimed. Today, with her work commanding extraordinary prices and attention, her legacy, like its creator, remains elusive, contested and compelling.

Edward Said: The Last Interview

June 2004 •English

Prominent Columbia University English and Comparative Literature professor Edward Said was well known in the United States for his tireless efforts to convey the plight of the Palestinian people, and in this film shot less than a year before his death resulting from incurable leukemia, the author of such books as {-Orientalism}, {-Culture and Imperialism}, and {-Power, Politics, and Culture} discusses with filmmakers his illness, his life, his education, and the continuing turmoil in Palestine. Diagnosed with the disease in 1991, Said struggled with his leukemia throughout the 1990s before refraining from interviews due to his increasingly fragile physical state. This interview was the one sole exception to his staunch "no interview" policy, and provides fascinating insight into the mind of the man who became Western society's most prominent spokesman for the Palestinian cause.

JO de Berlin 36, la grande illusion

March 2015 •French

Paris 2024 Olympic Closing Ceremony

August 2024 •French

Like an indelible memory, this Olympic closing ceremony will be marked by audacity, fraternity and emotion. In the heart of the Stade de France, athletes from all over the world will represent their countries one last time in an incredible moment of celebration and sharing. With their eyes riveted to the flame, the emotion will be immense as we close the great Olympic book of Paris 2024.

Riot at the Rite

October 2005 •English

In the spring of 1913, Parisian businessman Gabriel Astruc opens a new theater on the Champs Elysées. The first performance is the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring', danced by the Ballet Russes. The rehearsal process is extremely fraught: the orchestra dislike Stravinsky's harsh, atonal music; the dancers dislike the 'ugly' choreography of Vaslav Nijinsky. The volatile, bisexual Nijinsky is in a strained relationship with the much older Sergei Diaghilev, the Ballet Russes' charismatic but manipulative impresario. Public expectation is extremely high after Nijinsky's success in 'L'apres-midi d'un faune'. Finally, 'The Rite of Spring' premieres to a gossip-loving, febrile, fashion-conscious Parisian audience sharply divided as to its merits.

Rietveld Houses: A piece of furniture to live in

June 2024 •Dutch

In 2024, the iconic Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Gerrit Rietveld designed and built the house in close collaboration with his secret lover and creative partner Truus Schröder. Rietveld himself did not build his houses for eternity; he thought a life cycle of 50 years was sufficient. But the current owners of houses designed by Rietveld think differently about this. They pull out all the stops to renovate and preserve their Rietveld houses.

Yakuza Eiga, une histoire du cinéma yakuza

February 2009 •French

The history of the Yakuza Eiga at the TOEI studio is roughly outlined. Real Yakuza and also their connections to the movie business are discussed, and many important actors and directors of the genres are interviewed. Former real yakuza boss turned actor Noboru Ando, Takashi Miike, Sonny Chiba and many more get a chance to speak.

Architecture of Infinity

January 2019 •German

How can structures, which take up defined, rigid portions of space, make us feel transcendence? How can chapels turn into places of introspection? How can walls grant boundless freedom? Driven by intense childhood impressions, director Christoph Schaub visits extraordinary churches, both ancient and futuristic, and discovers works of art that take him up to the skies and all the way down to the bottom of the ocean. With the help of architects Peter Zumthor, Peter Märkli, and Álvaro Siza Vieira, artists James Turrell and Cristina Iglesias, and drummer Sergé “Jojo” Mayer, he tries to make sense of the world and decipher our spiritual experiences using the seemingly abstract concepts of light, time, rhythm, sound, and shape. The superb cinematography turns this contemplative search into a multi-sensory experience.

The Yes Men

September 2003 •English

A comic, biting and revelatory documentary following a small group of prankster activists as they gain worldwide notoriety for impersonating the World Trade Organization (WTO) on television and at business conferences around the world.

Arena - John Cassavetes

February 1989 •English

Tribute to actor and director John Cassavetes who died in February 1989. Friends, associates and fellow directors remember the man and his work.

The Comic Book Greats: Todd McFarlane

December 1991 •English

Stan Lee interviews Todd McFarlane

The Comic Book Greats: Rob Liefeld

December 1991 •English

Stan Lee interviews Rob Liefeld

The Comic Book Greats: Sergio Aragonés

December 1991 •English

Stan Lee interviews Sergio Aragonés

The Comic Book Greats: Rob Liefeld and Todd McFarlane

December 1991 •English

Rob Liefeld and Todd McFarlane create a new character.

The Comic Book Greats: Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis

December 1992 •English

Stan Lee interviews Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis

Jaime Lerner - Uma História de Sonhos

September 2016 •Portuguese

The Making of '8 Mile'

March 2003 •English

Dracula, l'éternel

December 2018 •French

Hiroshima Mon Amour

June 1959 •French

The deep conversation between a Japanese architect and a French actress forms the basis of this celebrated French film, considered one of the vanguard productions of the French New Wave. Set in Hiroshima after the end of World War II, the couple -- lovers turned friends -- recount, over many hours, previous romances and life experiences. The two intertwine their stories about the past with pondering the devastation wrought by the atomic bomb dropped on the city.

Paris l'éternel

January 2024 •French

A legendary city everyone dreams of visiting, Paris has retained all its authenticity, resembling more a collection of villages rather than one major metropolis. From the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame de Paris, we discover the French capital's most emblematic monuments, and the vibrant life of its boulevards