Illuminations

Tant qu'il y aura des enfants il y aura des clowns

In Mexico, young orphan Ricky's life will be turned upside down when the most famous clown in the country comes to his village.

J'ai tout donné

An intimate cinéma vérité style documentary following french mega star Johnny Hallyday's summer tour.

Houston, Texas

A film-crew follow the investigation of a cop killing.

The Lovers of the France

Seeing an opportunity to make a financial recovery for the family, a nobleman attempts to wed his son to his wealthy friend's daughter. His plan is to send the boy for a cruise on the SS France with the prospective female. Upon arriving to meet the lovely girl, the young man switches places with his valet. Unbeknownst to him, however, is the fact that the girl has pulled a similar deception. Though Jean-Marc Ripert is responsible for much of the cinematography in this New Wave comedy, it is Francois Reichenbach who handled the camera for many of the ocean-liner scenes.

Spécial Bardot

And the image created the myth... Bardot as a brunette, blonde or redhead. Bardot in thigh-high boots, mini-dress or swimsuit, Bardot in London, at La Madrague or on a Harley... In all her states, BB sings with Gainsbourg and Sacha Distel: "Bonnie and Clyde", "Comic strip", "Mister Sun"... Reichenbach's camera sublimates the icon.

Houston Texas

A report on this extraordinary boom town that owes its fortune to oil.

In Memory of Rock

The rock-wild youth of the 1960s during the apparitions of their idols.

F for Fake

Documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others.

Medicine Ball Caravan

Documentary of a 154-person bus and truck tour that set out to spread the gospel of flower power to the hinterlands of the U.S.

Do You Hear the Dogs Barking?

Carrying his son on his back, a man travels from place to place looking for a doctor to treat the sick boy. As they journey, the indio father tells the boy stories to keep him distracted. These stories reveal the life of native peoples in Mexico, both in the countryside and in cities, and they shed light on characteristic beliefs and rituals.

The Little Café

A day in a little café of Paris.

America as Seen by a Frenchman

At the end of the 1950s, French documentarian François Reichenbach spent eighteen months traveling the United States, documenting its diverse regions, their inhabitants, and their pastimes. The result is a journey through a multitude of different Americas, filtered through a French sensibility.

Portrait d'Orson Welles

Excerpts and fragments from different interviews with Orson Welles making a statement to journalists in fluent French about his career and his conception of life.

13 Days in France

This colorful documentary chronicles the events of the 1968 Winter Olympics in France. The events made international celebrities of skater Peggy Fleming and skier Jean-Claude Killy for their gold-medal performances. The camera accurately catches the speed of bobsleds and downhill racers and ski jumpers as they race for the gold. President Charles DeGaulle is shown observing the action over 13 days, which saw France earn the best performance to date in the winter games.

Arthur Rubinstein: The Love of Life

Documentary about Polish-American pianist, Arthur Rubinstein.

The Winner

Documentary-style drama about a young African boxer who comes to Paris to try for a boxing career.