The many faces of an icon

Al Pacino made it onto the big stages from Broadway to Hollywood, but being extremely shy, he is still a mystery.

In the ‘70s, he had his first international success as Michael Corleone in “The Godfather,” followed by legendary screen heroes such as drug lord Tony Montana, New York cop Serpico, bank robber Sonny Wortzig, and blind colonel Frank Slade.

At 80 years of age, Al Pacino continues to show his versatility by appearing both on stage and in front of the camera.

One of the greatest playwrights

Born in New York in 1915, Arthur Miller has created some of the most memorable stage plays in the world of literature over seven decades, becoming one of the greatest playwrights of the century. He never stopped being curious and was constantly pushing his limits.

This is a portrait of a fascinating man who, by marrying Marilyn Monroe, became a genuine American icon as their couple embodied glamour, success, and love in the 20th century.

Between arthouse films and popular movies

With 74 films and 160 million tickets sold, Jean-Paul Belmondo has been one the greatest star of French cinema.

If the word "bankable" had existed at the time, it would have undoubtedly applied to him.

People under 30 don’t know that he played with all the Nouvelle Vague directors: Godard, Melville, Sautet, Malle, Resnais, and Chabrol. People over 50 cannot forget his ebullience, his show of strength, and the stunts he performed himself.

Also available as a 90mns

The star with a thousand hats

Over 40 years, Bruce Willis has built such an extensive body of work that he can’t be easily pigeon-holed. From comedy to action films, his unconventional choices have turned Hollywood’s codes upside down.

Driven by challenge and curiosity, Bruce Willis has worked with the greatest directors. He has been at the top of the box office many times and has always been able to bounce back after enduring criticism and failures.

The star with a thousand hats

Over 40 years, Bruce Willis has built such an extensive body of work that he can’t be easily pigeon-holed. From comedy to action films, his unconventional choices have turned Hollywood’s codes upside down.

Driven by challenge and curiosity, Bruce Willis has worked with the greatest directors. He has been at the top of the box office many times and has always been able to bounce back after enduring criticism and failures.

Suspense, revolt and stars

"I'm talking to you about solidarity with students and workers and you're talking to me about traveling and close-ups! ». Jean-Luc Godard, May 1968.

That year, the most interesting film in Cannes was the one that took place outside the theaters.

Featuring numerous archives and unreleased testimonies, this film recounts the aborted edition of the 1968 Cannes Film Festival.

Crossing the acting bridge

He played alongside Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Chris Hemsworth under famous directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Ron Howard.

Daniel Brühl can play anything, whether a manic racing driver, a sensitive do-gooder, or a supervillain.

At the peak of his career, he is now venturing into new territory by making his directorial debut.

The voices or Arabic music

The "golden age" of culture in the Arab world, which lasted from the 1920s to the 1970s, saw women play a crucial role. They took over music, song, cinema, literature, the radio, and the press, and thrilled and enthralled diverse peoples, from Baghdad to Casablanca.

These women, some of whom remain giants in their own right, are symbols of a bygone era but also models and sources of inspiration for many contemporary Arab artists.

The first generation of Brazilian transvestite performers

In the 1960s, the Divine Divas were the first generation of Brazilian transvestite performers.

One of the first venues that gave shelter to men dressed as women was the Rival Theatre, directed by Américo Leal.

In this film, his granddaughter recounts the stories of a generation that revolutionized sexual behavior and challenged the country’s staid morality.

The woman behind the screen

This 3-parts film, the fruit of 10 years of research, unravels the myth of Marilyn in an original way, using psychologists to understand her deepest motivations.

Marilyn was determined to succeed at all costs, even at the risk of her own life, to compensate for her parents’ rejection. She received decisive help from the world of organized crime, with whom she maintained complicated relations. She could also count on many mentors: agents, coaches, and producers.

Also available as a 120mns

The return of the outdoor movie screen

The drive-in was the ultimate symbol of a carefree and newly motorized American youth in the 60s and 70s.

Even though the changing culture made them disappear decades ago, they have enjoyed a recent revival thanks to many enthusiasts.

With screens springing up across the US, moviegoers of all ages, families, and young couples can turn their windshields again into giant screens.

A video game revolution

This series is a nostalgic journey through 50 years of FPS (First Person Shooter) history featuring the developers and artists behind these legendary games.

We dig deep into these groundbreaking games' history, from the genre's humble beginnings through to the present day, exploring the creation, impact, and legacy of a wide range of genre-defining classics from Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, GoldenEye, Half-Life, Halo, and many more.

The man behind the winning smile

This film takes us behind the scenes to tell the story of the man known as "the Voice".

What kind of person was Francis Albert Sinatra and what were the keys to his success?

We meet the man behind the winning smile and show why Sinatra became a big star, an icon, and, to many, a hero, even though he was suffering many traumas, who influenced an entire era.

Also available as a 52mns

Talent, elegance, and political commitment

Talent, elegance, and political commitment have made Gregory Peck one of the most respected actors of his generation.

But the beginning of his career was anything but easy. Penniless in New York, he finally managed to break through on Broadway but no longer believed in his chances to do movies. A few months later, he shot his first film in Hollywood and went on to work with Alfred Hitchcock and Elia Kazan.

This film reveals the man behind the actor, the failure of his first marriage, his supposed affair with Ingrid Bergman, his complicity with Audrey Hepburn, and his passion for a French journalist who became his second wife, not to mention the tragic death of his son, Jonathan, who committed suicide.

A shattered destiny

Guillaume Depardieu, who died at age 37, was famous French actor Gérard Depardieu’s son.

Through the testimony of those who met him, this film portrays a complex personality. It is the story of a destiny that shattered too soon, that of a wounded man who revolted, disturbed by childhood, and to whom adulthood brought no peace.

He was a man with a rare talent, expressing himself with astonishing virtuosity both as an actor and a musician.

Beethoven and Prokofiev

This concert was filmed at the Vienna Musikverein during the European tour of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the most acclaimed symphony orchestra in Asia.

The program includes two magnificent and popular works: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Prokofiev’s Symphony No.5.

The star of the evening is Chinese virtuoso Ning Feng, who dazzles the audience. Time Out had this to say about one of his recent recitals: “It's nigh on impossible to overstate quite what a master Ning Feng already is… He had the audience enraptured as he redeployed his unique skills, danced, and skipped with every lilting note and displayed an aptitude that was truly remarkable.”

The world’s most beautiful sites as seen by a talented photographer

Paul Zizka is an outdoor photographer and a regular National Geographic collaborator. His passion for mountain-climbing has led him to some of the highest summits in the world in pursuit of the most spectacular views.

This film follows him on his latest challenges: from the discovery of Greenland, which he has long dreamed about, to the mythical deserts of Namibia and the high peaks of the Canadian Rockies.

The world’s most beautiful sites as seen by an extremely talented photographer.

The torments of genius

The Swedish director Ingmar Bergman had a decisive influence on cinema.

He is survived by more than 40 films and countless theatre productions.

But the man had his demons, fears, and neuroses that kept him awake at night in his house on the island of Farö.

Acting genius

He is the highest-paid actor of all time and the record holder among male colleagues with three Oscars and twelve nominations; a world star whose career began in the theater and whose life is anything but ordinary; his grin has been his trademark since “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Hollywood cannot be imagined without Jack Nicholson.

But his fame goes beyond his films since he is notorious for his wild parties and affairs.

This film tells the story of a man of the extremes and a lonely star who made movie history.

An intense star

At the peak of his career, Joaquin Phoenix suddenly seems to give up everything.

He had starred in numerous blockbusters and immersed himself in his roles, getting two Oscar nominations as a reward. Now, seemingly out of the blue, he claims to be ending his film career and taking off as a rapper instead.

Is this one of the most extraordinary talents of his generation breaking down in front of everyone, or is he thumbing his nose at a meaningless Hollywood machine?

A playful panorama of an enchanting genre

More than a simple cinematographic genre, the musical is a state of mind, a kind of magic that can touch many things, our memories, of course, but also unexpected realms.

This film offers a playful panorama of an enchanting genre.

A living legend of cinema

As a child, Leonardo DiCaprio had a big dream: he wanted to step into Hollywood’s limelight and make film history.

He pursued his goal with an iron will and natural talent. Today, he has achieved everything - including winning an Oscar. Nevertheless, he is restlessly searching for new goals.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a man who lives his dreams, even with all their contradictions.

A naturally gifted and legendary actor

Lino Ventura was a naturally gifted actor, one of the most familiar faces of French cinema, and a man who took quite revenge on life.

Director Jean-Pierre Melville said he could play anything. So why did he turn down so many important roles? Why did he only choose worthy characters? Why did he, somehow, limit himself?

This portrait reveals the childhood of an Italian immigrant subject to shame and humiliation. Behind the figure of a burly man is a boy with many wounds. It will inform his entire career which then appears in a different light. If the actor has limited himself, the man has fully succeeded in life.

Reviled by the critics, crowned by the public

Louis de Funès was acclaimed by the public but reviled by the critics. He finally achieved success at the age of 41.

His 144 films in his 35-year career made him a record holder in cinema admissions and television audiences.

Louis de Funès died in 1983, but his incredible comic talent has not aged a day, and his detractors have made their mea culpa to the spiritual father of French comedy.

Secrets from the old trunk

A new and unexpected element surfaces fifty years after Marilyn Monroe's death: an old trunk containing secrets.

We travel from Tokyo to Paris via New York and Los Angeles in the footsteps of this mysterious baggage that would have belonged to Marilyn.

Through this chest, we delve into the intimacy of the most famous blonde in cinema history.

From training to shooting

The dogs Rin-tin-tin-tin, Lassie and Beethoven, killer whale Willy, piglet Babe, and many other animals have long since joined the pantheon of great movie stars.

Behind these leading animals are men and women who are driven by passion, determination, and patience.

This film shows the work of these lovers of animals and cinema, from the first training sessions to the shootings.

It makes Hollywood look dull

Hollywood produces 500 films per year on average while Bollywood produces more than 1000. Its colorful industry is drawing Russian ballerinas, star look-alikes who become heroes of the masses, fans who go to ridiculous lengths for their idols, stuntmen who risk life and limb, and scores of non-Indians who want to try their luck. It has inspired an entire village that works towards churning out plagiarized films of local and American box office hits.

This series starts off in Singapore where it establishes this cinematic genre reach in the region and the world, then follows several endearing characters and their stories of passion, grit, and a never-say-die attitude epitomizing the Bollywood dream in a way unparalleled to any other film industry.

The father of the Corsican homeland

A television crew is making a portrait of Pasquale Paoli, a historical figure emblematic of Corsica's independence, admired by the young Napoleon Bonaparte, the interlocutor of all the great thinkers of the Enlightenment.

As filming progresses, the young director becomes aware that many of the island's inhabitants have a fantasy: that Mel Gibson should make a film on the life of the "father of the homeland", like the one he devoted to William Wallace in "Braveheart" and restore their hero to his rightful place in history.

More than a pretty face

Some celebrate him as a sex symbol and the most exciting actor of our time.

Envious people talk about his smooth face and his washboard stomach to explain his fame.

However, it is undisputed that Ryan Gosling is one of the most successful actors today.

They invented a new world in the '80s

Tracking major theatrical releases and forgotten gems, this series explores the sci-fi movies of the ‘80s.

At that time, the genre experienced a real revolution with films such as “Blade Runner”, “E.T.”, “Back to the Future” or “Terminator”. The decade proved pivotal for the many skill sets involved and an infinite source of inspiration for today’s artists and filmmakers.

The people who built these legendary worlds - storytellers, visual effects artists, set designers, and producers - tell us how they materialized their ideas on films that dazzled the spectators.

The evolution of our mores by way of songs

Did you know that in the ‘50s, only 3% of pop songs mentioned sex? In the ‘70s, that number jumped to 40%; in 2009, 92% of the songs talked about sex.

This series reveals the impact of the major pop music genres on our sexual lives and, in return, the influence of our sex lives on music.

The masterminds behind the most popular series

Today, American series have become masterpieces of creativity and storytelling.

However, rarely do we hear the showrunners themselves talk about their work.

In this series, exclusive interviews have been conducted with 12 showrunners at the top of their game.

The inspiration for great contemporary directors

The myth of the cowboy was born in the American studios, but when we talk about Westerns, one name keeps coming up: Sergio Leone, the great architect of the so-called "spaghetti" Western because it was made in Italy.

This genre, which was initially intended to be purely mercantile by shooting low-cost imitations of American Westerns, allowed the emergence of new talents.

The spaghetti western became a true genre thanks to Leone, Corbucci, Solima, and the music of Ennio Morricone. It will then, in turn, influence international cinema, notably by inspiring great contemporary directors such as Quentin Tarantino.

The impact of the "A-Team" series

Over five seasons, from 1983 to 1987, the series "The A Team" was a phenomenal success.

One of its protagonists, Mr T, a.k.a. Barracuda, is still considered one of the era's iconic stars.

His muscles, haircut, necklaces, and blue overalls have made him a veritable icon and even a trademark.

Horror films of the '80s

This series tracks major theatrical releases, obscure titles, and straight-to-video gems, exploring the horror movies of the ‘80s. From “Shining” to the “Nightmare on Elm Street” saga and from “The Gremlins” to “The Thing”, the era was genuinely golden for the genre.

Topics include groundbreaking effects, the home video revolution, poster art and project marketing, sound design and musical scores, the 3-D resurgence, heroes and villains, sex and nudity, and much more.

Filled with countless clips and entertaining moments, this nostalgia trip through a game-changing decade made a generation of horror fans believe in the impossible.

Udo Kier, now 80, is at the height of his career, recently playing Adolf Hitler in “Hunters” and earning acclaim for his role in “Swan Song”.

Known for portraying diverse characters from demons to historical figures, he has starred in films across the globe, collaborated with icons like Andy Warhol, Lars von Trier, and Gus Van Sant, and built a Hollywood career as a beloved character actor.

The high seas festival

This series chronicles the wild and unpredictable feats of a road crew managing Asia’s largest electronic music festival on a cruise liner.

The week-long journey is a no-hold-barred ride about the raw details of putting on a "festival that never sleeps".

With 3,800 guests and 90 artists on board, featuring a special cameo by David Hasselhoff himself, disaster is always around the corner, but the Gig Guys are ready to face anything thrown at them with little sleep but a whole lot of bravado.

Cinema heroes

Some characters seem to have always belonged to the 7th art: the soldier, the psychopath, the alien, and the robot.

These heroic or mythical characters are strongly linked to a cinema genre and obey unwritten rules followed by the directors.

This series offers a rendez-vous with these heroes of cinema, sometimes fascinating and moving, some other times ambiguous and repulsive.

Behind the myth

In the age of mass media, the death of a star is always a public event that is exploited, serving a thirst for sensationalism.

This series shows the women and the men behind their myths, their reported success, and their early fame before succumbing to despair and tragedy. It explores how the gap between their actual lives and public personae promotes contemporary legends.

An independent cinema icon

Uma Thurman first made a name for herself in roles of false ingenue before becoming an independent cinema icon and then a standard-bearer of women's revenge.

Here's a look back at this warrior's journey, which has not been without wounds.

 

A young girl battles leukemia

On April 5, 2012, director Bruno Romy and illustrator Annabelle Cocollos learned that their daughter, Mika, who was 6 years old at the time, had leukemia.

The family decided to document her battle towards being cured.

This film is a combination of drawings, photos, animation and live footage, a moving account of a heartwrenching situation.

Hollywood's anti-hero

Sensitive. Fragile. Crazy. Although Winona Ryder resists labels, the image of the outsider follows her all the way to the red carpet.

At 17, she was already one of Hollywood’s greats, but after being convicted of shoplifting, the young talent went quiet.

Now in her 50s, she is suddenly back, the antihero of Hollywood.

Leaving the pack

What happens to the wolves that leave the pack and how do they survive?

For months, we followed Jean-Michel Bertrand as he conducts a real investigation to understand why young wolves leave the territory where they were born and how these adventurers explore new horizons.

This journey is like a road movie through the most remote regions of the Alps.