Serge Bromberg

Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

The epic life story of Alice Guy-Blaché (1873–1968), a French screenwriter, director and producer, true pioneer of cinema, the first person who made a narrative fiction film; author of hundreds of movies, but banished from history books. Ignored and forgotten. At last remembered.

An account of the extraordinary life of film pioneer Georges Méliès (1861-1938) and the amazing story of the copy in color of his masterpiece A Trip to the Moon (1902), unexpectedly found in Spain and restored thanks to the heroic efforts of a group of true cinema lovers.

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.

The amazing story of the animograph, a machine created in France in the sixties by the cartoonist and self-taught inventor Jean Dejoux (1922-2015), whose creation was intended to revolutionize the animation industry.

Why are we still able, today, to view images that were captured over 125 years ago? As we enter the digital age, audiovisual heritage seems to be a sure and obvious fact. However, much of cinema and our filmed history has been lost forever. Archivists, technicians and filmmakers from different parts of the world explain what audiovisual preservation is and why it is necessary. The documentary is a tribute to all these professionals and their important work.

To honour the 40th anniversary of her death, multiple personalities share their feelings and thoughts about the life and career of the fabulous and bold actress Romy Schneider. Among them, Alain Delon, icon of French cinema and Romy's first great love, reads her the love letter which he wrote her forty years ago, the day after she passed away.

The whole world knows him. Burlesque comedy genius, popular actor, author, director, producer, composer, choreographer, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) used his talent to serve an ideal of justice and freedom. But his best scenario was his own destiny, a story written into the political and artistic history of the 20th century.

When the silent cinema learned to speak, the audience was surprised not only by the voices of the actors and the sound effects, but also by a new element, the music, which, combined with the dance and an unprejudiced imagination, gave rise to a new genre, as important to Hollywood cinema as the western was: the musical. A journey through the history of this genre, from its beginnings to the present day.

A look back at the life, style and influences of the famed filmmaker Georges Méliès and an examination of his role in the story of "Hugo."

A look back at Charlie Chaplin's early life and career, from his rough childhood and music hall success in England to his early Hollywood days and the development of his enormously popular character, the Little Tramp, also called Charlot.

A documentary that details the process of restoring 270 of the 520 lost films of pioneering director Georges Méliès, all orchestrated by a Franco-American collaboration between Lobster Films, the National Film Center, and the Library of Congress.

Sergio Castellitto's narration traces the history of 3D cinema, which began with cinema itself, through films from the early 1900s such as "L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat" by the Lumière brothers, to the great titles of the 1950s such as Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" and "The Creature from the Black Lagoon."

Details the early attempts, what worked, or why it didn't, in the history of adding partial or full colour to films. Includes early film clips to illustrate how most tries appeared to audiences.

The extraordinary life of Hedy Lamarr, a successful actress and inventor of a pioneer system that is the base of technologies such as Bluetooth, GPS and wi-fi.

In 1928, as the talkies threw the film industry and film language into turmoil, Chaplin decided that his Tramp character would not be heard. City Lights would not be a talking picture, but it would have a soundtrack. Chaplin personally composed a musical score and sound effects for the picture. With Peter Lord, the famous co-creator of Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit, we see how Chaplin became the king of slapstick comedy and the superstar of the movies.

It's Christmas night. While the world is sleeping, a young child decides to get up just before midnight to try to see Santa Claus depositing the presents at the foot of the tree. But that is not his surprise when he enters the living room and finds that the old man with the white beard has already passed, the presents surrounding the conifer. It is then that Bis-Bis, the little robot who repeats everything twice, even his name, comes out of his package. For a few minutes, he will have fun with the child and the other toys ...

A wonderful documentary that sheds additional light on the fascinating project ‘Inferno’ was, as well as how those who were involved with it reacted to it during the shooting process. A riveting adjunct to the main feature, offering a glut of interviews with various people associated with the production, and presenting quite a bit more production data, as well as some unseen footage from Clouzot's shoot.

Success is inevitable for a musical in which Fred Astaire appears - if it was also written by one of the most talented composers of his time. Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin - all these brilliant composers knew how to deal with the fact that not only Astaire's legs are like an instrument, but that his whole being is filled with music.

Documentary illustrating the birth of sound cinema.