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Journey into "Hamlet"-the play and the man-through the experiences of some of the major actors and directors who have brought Shakespeare's great tragedy to life. Christopher Plummer, David Tennant, John Nettles, John Simm, Sir Trevor Nunn, Franco Zeffirelli, Philip Saville, and others explore the enduring appeal of the Prince of Denmark more than 400 years after his stage debut.
Nov 2011
From London's 1970 mod scene to Sonic Youth, punk music has always been about attitude and anarchy. This comprehensive rockumentary traces the roots of punk, from The Velvet Underground and the New York Dolls to the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
Jul 2005
A documentary of the life leading up to the election of John F. Kennedy as president and the controversial life prior that created the legend.
Jun 2017
The Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the May events in France, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, the Prague Spring, the Chicago riots, the Mexico Summer Olympics, the presidential election of Richard Nixon, the Apollo 8 space mission, the hippies and the Yippies, Bullitt and the living dead. Once upon a time the year 1968.
Jul 2018
Starting in 1881 this film shows the personal battle between Lenin's Ulyanov family and the royal Romanovs that eventually led to the Russian revolution.
Sep 1999
A personal take on working with Harold Pinter via intimate conversations with actors, directors and writers who share their experiences of the man and his work.
Dec 2009
Commemorates 100 years since the release of the German classic, Nosferatu, by FW Murnau, and explores the general fascination of Count Dracula, a figure who resonates with audiences across the literary, art, mythological and historical worlds.
Oct 2022
Ian Nathan, Neil Norman and Stephen Armstrong run through their top 25 sci-films of the last century, including The Matrix and Planet of the Apes.
Jan 2021
While anticipating the arrival of a famous Hollywood star, five employees at a mediocre restaurant in London's Soho must deal with rats, arguments and kitchen-based power struggles.
Sep 2007
For this informative new one-off, film writer Ian Nathan focuses on the first 60 years of British film, from the invention of cinema and the transition from stage to screen, to the emergence of the studios and the first popular idols. Nathan takes us through the work of leading British film-makers — a talent pool that, like Hollywood’s, benefited from the influx of refugees fleeing Europe — including Alfred Hitchcock, Powell and Pressburger, and many more besides.
Sep 2022
Born Reginald Dwight on 25 March 1947, he was something of a child prodigy and would go on to become a prolific songwriter and one of Britain's most accomplished and acclaimed musicians, selling out tours the world over. His humanitarianism has been suitably honored, and he has continued to contribute extensively to the music industry. Writing songs for the1994 animated film The Lion King, he later he adapted The Lion King for Broadway and in 2005 he composed music for a West End stage production of Billy Elliot. This documentary takes a look at his long and successful career, exploring his greatest hits with the help of leading industry figures.
May 2013
A celebration of extraordinary choreographed moments in a countdown of TOP 25 of the most memorable dances in cinema history.
Dec 2020
Gathering for a Christmas lunch, the film critics and writers of Discovering Film discuss the merits of 20 films from Bill Murray's star turn in Scrooged, the James Stewart classic It's a Wonderful Life, Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander, to Bruce Willis' memorable Die Hard.
Dec 2018
Jul 2010
In 1967 an expressive, colourful musical force painted a backdrop of social change, fashion, love, turmoil and war. The world remembers the Summer of Love in 1967 as one of those moments when a unique and creative explosion of music and popular culture arrived in the UK and USA.
Jul 2017
It has been said that no two sisters were ever less alike. One reserved and proper. The other lively and controversial. One the anchor of a commonwealth of nations. The other searching for purpose in life.
Aug 2018
The night of November 8, 1923, is arguably the most significant and transformative in the history of the twentieth century. A localised uprising in the Bavarian capital of Munich, led by a small man with a toothbrush moustache and a poisonous yet compelling grandiloquence, would have repercussions that would lead to the political shackling of an entire nation, the most abhorrent crimes of the century and a world war. You might say, Adolf Hitler came of age amid the smell of sweat and sawdust of a Munich beer hall. In the political chaos of 1923, he was a local irritant, gaining popularity among workers and soldiers, the ethos of his Nazi Party spreading like a virus. His first attempt at attaining true power came with an attempted putsch on the already separatist government of Bavaria, which left him imprisoned.
Mar 2023
Part of the Series: Discovering The Arts
Jan 2013
Luis Bunuel, the father of cinematic Surrealism, made his film debut with 'Un Chien Andalou' in 1929 working closely with Salvador Dali. Considered one of the finest and controversial filmmakers with, 'L’Age d’Or' (1930), attacking the church and the middle classes. He won many awards including Best Director at Cannes for 'Los Olvidados' (1950), and the coveted Palme d’Or for 'Viridiana' (1961), which had been banned in his native Spain. His career moved to France with 'The Diary of a Chambermaid' with major stars such as Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve.
Jan 2012