Lumière!

In one of those wonderful coincidences of history, lumière, the French word for “light,” was also the last name of brothers Auguste and Louis, whose brilliant invention, the cinematograph, helped to inaugurate the most beloved art form of the last 130 years. Institute Lumière director Thierry Frémaux uses Lumière, Le Cinema! to guide the viewer through over a hundred shorts—some famous, some forgotten, some never before seen—directed by Lumière and company. In the process, Frémaux illuminates how the brothers employed the camera as a creative instrument as they (and their operators) mastered framing, staging, and subject selection for quotidian and exotic microdocumentaries as well as the first ever fictional motion pictures. The result is not only a glorious re(telling) of the genesis of cinema but a profound meditation on the beautiful world captured—and the mysterious world imagined—by the Lumières.

Lumière, Le Cinéma!

2024

7.0

Vivian Maier's photos were seemingly destined for obscurity, lost among the clutter of the countless objects she'd collected throughout her life. Instead these images have shaken the world of street photography and irrevocably changed the life of the man who brought them to the public eye. This film brings to life the interesting turns and travails of the improbable saga of John Maloof's discovery of Vivian Maier, unravelling this mysterious tale through her documentary films, photographs, odd collections and personal accounts from the people that knew her. What started as a blog to show her work quickly became a viral sensation in the photography world. Photos destined for the trash heap now line gallery exhibitions, a forthcoming book and this documentary film.

Finding Vivian Maier

2014

7.6

Stan Lee

7.1

2023

Celebrate the legacy of Stan Lee as the co-creator of such legendary characters as Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the X-Men, The Avengers, and hundreds more.

Stan Lee

2023

7.1

Maria by Callas

2017

Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.

Maria by Callas

2017

7.3

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies

6.5

2020

The definitive documentary on the history of nudity in feature films from the early silent days to the present, studying the changes in morality that led to the use of nudity in films while emphasizing the political, sociological and artistic changes that shaped that history. Skin will also study the gender inequality in presenting nude images in motion pictures and will follow the revolution that has created nude gender equality in feature films today.

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies

2020

6.5

Shoah

8.2

1985

Director Claude Lanzmann spent 11 years on this sprawling documentary about the Holocaust, conducting his own interviews and refusing to use a single frame of archival footage. Dividing Holocaust witnesses into three categories – survivors, bystanders, and perpetrators – Lanzmann presents testimonies from survivors of the Chelmno concentration camp, an Auschwitz escapee, and witnesses of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, as well as a chilling report of gas chambers from an SS officer at Treblinka.

Shoah

1985

8.2

Wick Is Pain

7.4

2025

Witness the never-before-seen footage and true story behind the John Wick phenomenon – from independent film to billion-dollar franchise.

Wick Is Pain

2025

7.4

Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno

2009

In 1964, Henri-Georges Clouzot's production of L'Enfer came to a halt. Despite huge expectations, major studio backing and an unlimited budget, after three weeks the production collapsed. This documentary presents Inferno's incredible expressionistic original rushes, screen tests, and on-location footage, whilst also reconstructing Clouzot's original vision, and shedding light on the ill-fated endeavor through interviews, dramatizations of unfilmed scenes, and Clouzot's own notes.

Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno

2009

7.3

The Walking Dead: The Return

Stars of "The Walking Dead," Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, walk down memory lane and visit iconic locations where pivotal moments between their characters, Rick and Michonne, were filmed.

The Walking Dead: The Return

2024

7.3

Spielberg

7.6

2017

A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg

2017

7.6

Hitchcock/Truffaut

7.2

2015

Filmmakers discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock and the book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (“Le cinéma selon Hitchcock”), written by François Truffaut and published in 1966.

Hitchcock/Truffaut

2015

7.2

Similar Movies

The Sparks Brothers

2021

Take a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band.

The Sparks Brothers

2021

7.3

No Image

Jackie Chan: Down to Earth

An in-depth look at the past four decades of work by legendary martial artist, Jackie Chan.

Jackie Chan: Down to Earth

Visions, Dreams and Magic: The Unmade Films of Michael Powell

Discover the unrealised visions and passion projects of revered British filmmaker Michael Powell, in this fascinating documentary featuring Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker.

Visions, Dreams and Magic: The Unmade Films of Michael Powell

2024

Celine Dion: Rise of a Diva

7.2

In 1988, 20-year-old Céline Dion won Eurovision for Switzerland with the song ‘Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi’, a moment that kickstarted her international career and propelled the young Celine to world fame. This documentary looks back through the archives at an event that changed the Quebec singer's life, with interviews from the song’s composer as well as from Scott Fitzgerald, the British singer who was runner up at Eurovision 1988, beaten by just one point.

Celine Dion: Rise of a Diva

2024

7.2

Legacy

Is there a mental health crisis in agriculture in Colorado? Farming and ranching has become increasingly difficult over the years. An industry that is typically viewed as romantic, hardworking, and "salt-of-the earth" is actually a job full of tremendous stress outside of anyone's control. Combine that with the enormous generational pressure to continue the family farm, and you have a large group of people that are suffering silently. How do we take care of those that are taking care of us?

Legacy

2024

To Tell the Truth: A History of Documentary Film (1928-1946)

2012

A detailed history of documentary filmmaking in the US and the UK from 1929 to 1945. The first part, Working for Change, focuses on 1929-1941 and the social movements of the times, The Great Depression, The New Deal, and the awakening of the Leftwing in the UK. The second part, The Strategy of Truth, focuses on 1933-1946 and explores the role of film as propaganda during World War II, and the different forms it took in the US, the UK, and Germany.

To Tell the Truth: A History of Documentary Film (1928-1946)

2012

Borodino

10.0

2020

An experimental sitcom, shot in the style of silent films of the early twentieth century. A parody of military-patriotic films. The plot of the film is the battle of the Russian army with Napoleon in 1812.

Borodino

2020

10.0

Titanic's Final Mystery

2012

The sinking of the RMS Titanic remains one of the most enduring and mysterious tragedies of the 20th century. For decades, investigators and amateurs alike have floated theories for why it occurred and who was to blame for the extraordinary loss of life, but no one answer could fully explain what happened. Until now. To mark the 100th anniversary of the infamous disaster, Smithsonian Channel will premiere Titanic's Final Mystery. The two-hour special investigates a century of theories and uncovers astonishing new forensic evidence that proves the most likely theory for the case.

Titanic's Final Mystery

2012

7.3

Grizzly Man

7.5

2005

Follows the story of "Grizzly Man" Timothy Treadwell and what the thirteen summers in a National Park in Alaska were like in his attempt to protect the grizzly bears. The film is full of unique images and a look into the spirit of a man who sacrificed himself for nature.

Grizzly Man

2005

7.5

Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcock's Favorite Film

7.0

2000

A short documentary about the Making Of Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943).

Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcock's Favorite Film

2000

7.0

Out of the Cradle

7.5

2018

How did humanity's earliest ancestors evolve into one of the most successful species on Earth? An extraordinary journey tracing the footsteps of early hominids. Using the latest paleoanthropological findings mixed with the latest CGI from Square Enix, this story is finally told.

Out of the Cradle

2018

7.5

Dalida & Orlando: Brother and Sister Forever

9.0

2023