ANT FARM VIDEO

An anthology of hilarious and poignant pieces of political video art, including the legendary "Media Burn" and "Cadillac Ranch". "Revolution with a laugh track" (Architectural Record).

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ARCHITECTURES 1
1995-2001

A privileged, unprecedented inside look at the work of superstar architects and some of their most brilliant creations, produced by the European public television channel ARTE. Architectures 1 covers milestones like Germany's famed Bauhaus and the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, and examines the work of architects Jean Nouvel, Otto Wagner, Walter Gropius, Alvaro Siza, and others.

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ARCHITECTURES 2
1995-2001

This breathtaking series looks at architecture and its historical and social functions to reveal its meaning and impact on humanity. Architectures 2 analyses Frank Lloyd Wright's Johnson Wax building, the innovations of the Galleria Umberto 1, the luxurious Stone Thermal Baths, and a high-speed train station in Satolas.

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ARCHITECTURES 3
1995-2001

A privileged, unprecedented inside look at the work of superstar architects and some of their most brilliant creations, produced by the European public television channel ARTE. Architectures 3 examines the Jewish Museum of Berlin, designed by Daniel Liebeskind; Louis Sullivan's Auditorium Theatre in Chicago; a Dominican convent designed by Le Corbusier; Charles Garnier's Parisian Opera; and buildings by Antonio Gaudi and Alvar Aalto.

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ARCHITECTURES 4
2004-2005

Fourth in the insightful series of films gives us a privileged, unprecedented inside look at the work of celebrated architects and some of their most brilliant creations. This volume covers such groundbreaking sites as The Royal Saltworks of Arc and Senans, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the "rational" architecture of Jean Prouve's House, the St. Foy Abbey, and The Sendai Mediatheque.

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ARCHITECTURES 5
2005-2007

The Alhambra in Grenada, the House of Sugimoto, the Reception and Congress Building in Rome, the Yoyogi Olympic Gymnasiums, the Villa Barbaro, and the Phaeno not only presented practical problems for the architects who designed them but also inspired their creativity.

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ARTS AND MYTHS
Directed by Philippe Truffault, Jean-Loic Portron & Ludovic Segarra, 2006

This Arte France television production takes viewers into the heart of the "first arts," introducing major artistic pieces from African, Oceania, South America, and Asia. Each of the six half-hour segments in the Arts du Mythe series explores the myths behind a magnificent work of art. In English, French and German with English subtitles.

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ARTS AND MYTHS Volume 2
Directed by Philippe Truffault, Jean-Loic Portron & Ludovic Segarra, 2006

Arts and Myths Volume 2 returns to the heart of the "first arts" to introduce us to more major artistic pieces from Africa, Oceania, the Americas, and Asia. In English, German, or French.

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BALTHUS: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
Directed by Damian Pettigrew, 1997

Award-winning director Damian Pettigrew (Fellini: I'm a Born Liar) offers this definitive portrait of Balthus, a modern artist whose work was nonetheless out of step with most modern movements. His huge canvases with their thickly applied paint feature dreamy adolescent girls in enigmatic poses, resulting in an erotically charged and oddly disorienting style. In French with optional English subtitles.

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GEORG BASELITZ
Directed by Heinz Peter Schwerfel, 1987/2004

Filmmaker and art critic Heinz Peter Schwerfel offers a unique opportunity to examine the outspoken painter Baselitz at two different points in his life. In 1987, Schwerfel filmed the 50-year-old artist on the occasion of his retrospective at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. Baselitz talks candidly about his youth, career, the lean years, and his success; 17 years later, Schwerfel makes a new film for a new Baselitz retrospective in which the painter views the original film and the filmmaker confronts him about his earlier statements. In German with English subtitles.

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THE BASIS OF MAKE-UP I-III
Directed by Heinz Emigholz, 2005

Explore the mindset and artistic vision of iconoclastic filmmaker Heinz Emigholz, who is the originator of "Architecture as Autobiography," a series of documentaries on unique or unusual architects consisting of still images of the subject's buildings. The meticulousness of Emigholz’s style of filmmaking is spotlighted in The Basis of Make-Up I-III, a three-part DVD that showcases his illustrated notebooks and sketchbooks.

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LOUISE BOURGEOIS
Directed by Camille Guichard, 1993

Sculptor Louise Bourgeois lifts the veil on her life and work in this revealing portrait of a modern artist. Focusing on themes of sexuality, femininity, and isolation, her work has been associated with all the major artistic movements of the 20th century, but Bourgeois never let her work get stalled by the tenets and dogma of any one movement. In a career that spanned 50 years, she was always at the vanguard, moving from painting to sculpture and finally to performance art. In French, German, & English with optional English subtitles.

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THE CASE OF HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT
Directed by Mario Bernard & Pierre Trividic, 1998

Disgusted by life and uninterested in earthly subjects, Lovecraft intentionally avoided reality when writing, veering into the unknown and inspiring the fear that lurks in nightmares. This unorthodox documentary re-creates the atmosphere of claustrophobia, anxiety, and madness of Lovecraft's life and work.

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CONTACTS Vol.1:
The Great Tradition of Photojournalism
1988-2000

The world's greatest photographers reveal the secrets behind their images in this collection of short, personal films. Featuring Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Klien, Raymond Depardon, Marc Riboud, and other giants of photojournalism. In English and French with English subtitles.

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CONTACTS Vol. 2:
The Renewal of Contemporary Photography
1992-2000

The world's greatest photographers reveal the secrets behind their images in this collection of short, personal films. Featuring Sophie Calle, Nan Goldin, Sarah Moon, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff, and other contemporary masters. In English and French with English subtitles.

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CONTACTS Vol.3:
Conceptual Photography
2001-2004

The world's greatest photographers reveal the secrets behind their images in this collection of short, personal films. Featuring Thomas Struth, Wolfgang Tillmans, Roni Horn, Bernd and Hilla Becher, and other contemporary masters. In English and French with English subtitles.

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GUSTAVE COURBET
Directed by Romain Goupil, 2007

In Gustave Courbet, French filmmaker Romain Goupil gets at the heart of this legendary artist and uncovers what drove him to pursue the controversial style known as realism. Painting with passion and purpose, he walked a decidedly different path than other artists who chose the academy style that was the standard for the day.

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D'ANNUNZIO'S CAVE
Directed by Heinz Emigholz, 2005

Heinz Emigholz, the premiere purveyor of architectural oddities (Sullivan's Bridges, Goff in the Desert), meticulously documents 15 rooms of the enormous Villa Cargnacco in Lombardy, Italy, designed by proto-fascist poet Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938). In German with English subtitles.

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DESIGN
Directed by Danielle Schirman & Anna-Celia Kendall, 2006

The Bubble Club Sofa, BIC Cristal Pen, Akari Lamp, Hoover Vacuum Cleaner, DS19 (automobile), and iMac Computer embodied the two requirements of a great design-they were innovative products and they were aesthetically pleasing. They were also instant successes with the public, influencing future product lines. In French with English subtitles.

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DESIGN 2
Directed by Danielle Schirman, Anna-Celia Kendall & Heinz Peter Schwerfel, 2006

The Bookworm, Concorde, Conica coffeemaker, Leica camera, Eames lounge chair, and Vespa scooter not only reflect the era that produced them but they also anticipated the future. Combining archival images and film excerpts with music, this companion documentary to our earlier release Design, outlines the social, political, and cultural climate in which each item was invented. In French with English subtitles.

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ELEGY OF A VOYAGE
Directed by Alexander Sokurov, 2001/1996

From the uncompromising vision of Alexander Sokurov (Russian Ark) comes two short films caught in the cross-section of painting and film. In Elegy of a Voyage, Sokurov crosses vast landscapes, sails the high seas, and stumbles through congested cities to bask in the power of a beautiful landscape by Peter Saenredam. In Hubert Robert, a Fortunate Life, Sokurov meditates on the work of French romantic painter Hubert Robert, whose paintings of lost ruins evoke the same nostalgia and lyricism of Sokurov's own films. In Russian with choice of English, French, Spanish, and Italian subtitles.

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JAMES ELLROY: AMERICAN DOG
Directed by Clara and Robert Kuperberg, 2006

As the author of L.A. Confidential, Black Dahlia, My Dark Places, and many others, Ellroy expanded the boundaries of hard-boiled fiction while tapping into the moody atmosphere of film noir. His fascination with the infamous Black Dahlia murder case shadows his rabid fixation on his mother's slaying, offering a candid portrait of a talented writer and an obsessed man.

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GIACOMETTI
Directed by Michelle Van Zele & Jean-Marie Drot, 2000/1963

A revealing DVD with two films about "one of the greatest of all artists" (The Nation). Featuring rare footage of Giacometti himself. French with English subtitles.

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GOFF IN THE DESERT
Directed by Heinz Emigholz, 2003

Apprenticed at age 12 but never formally educated as an architect, American architect Bruce Goff's work displays a unique style that sets it apart from most 20th-century architecture. The Episcopal Church in Tulsa built in the 1920s is a towering Art Deco icon, while the Hopewell Baptist Church in Edmond resembles a strange futuristic concrete teepee that challenges the surrounding landscape.

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GOLUB/SPERO
Directed by Jerry Blumenthal & Gordon Quinn, 2005

Scenes of Leon Golub at work are interwoven with archival footage, interviews with museum-goers and TV news as the film challenges us to question our connection to violence in the modern world and to reassess the relationship between art and society. Golub/Spero also captures an historic artistic journey shared by Golub and prominent feminist and anti-war artist Nancy Spero, his wife and studio partner for over 50 years.

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PAUL KLEE: THE SILENCE OF THE ANGEL
Directed by Michael Gaumnitz, 2005

A visual journey into the work of a major painter of the 20th century by Michael Gaumnitz, an award-winning documentarian of artists and sculptors. Like Kandinsky and Delaunay, Klee revolutionized the traditional concepts of composition and color. By listening to the heartbeat of nature, exploring the science of his time, and studying music and poetry, Klee created his own artistic language, which questioned the nature of form, line, and color.

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LOOS ORNAMENTAL
Directed by Heinz Emigholz, 2008

One of the pioneers of the European Modernism in architecture, Adolf Loos turned against building ornamentation, triggering a controversy in architectural theory. His development of a “spatial plan” launched a new approach to thinking about building spaces. His houses, furniture, facades, and monuments were constructed between 1899 and 1931 and represent a refreshing approach to modern architecture.

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A LOUVRE TREASURE: AWAKENING APOLLO
Directed by Jérôme Prieur, 2004

Over time, water damage had ruined parts of the vaulted ceiling and years of grime had dulled the magnificent paintings of the Apollo Gallery in the Louvre. In 2002, a team of 60 specialists, architects, conservationists, and carpenters embarked on a monumental three-year restoration, which returned the gallery to its former splendor. In French with English subtitles.

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MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION:
Frank Lloyd Wright's Buildings and Legacy in Japan
Directed by Karen Severns & Koichi Mori, 2004

Frank Lloyd Wright, the greatest architect of the 20th century, was deeply indebted to Japan for its aesthetic inspiration. This is the story of how he repaid that debt. Wright sought refuge in Japan when he faced public condemnation at home. There, he forged several relationships with Japanese architects who went on to alter Japan's cityscapes and to mentor a new generation of architects.

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MAGRITTE: DAY AND NIGHT
Directed by Henri de Gerlache, 2009

As mystifying and peculiar as his work, Rene Magritte painted in a style that was at once real and surreal, witty and disturbing. His enigmatic nature and amazing career deserve more than a routine documentary, and director Henri de Gerlache is up to the task. In this informative but unusual film, Charlie Dupont plays an actor hired to portray Magritte. He researches the artist's life and career, hoping to uncover his personality and unlock the meaning to his paintings. As the actor digs into Magritte's life story, we learn the highs and lows of the painter's career. The dramatic narrative is intercut with comments and interviews with art historians and experts, including photographer Duane Michals. A clever interpretation of one of the 20th century’s most recognizable painters.

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MAILLART'S BRIDGES
Directed by Heinz Emigholz, 2001

In this captivating and informative documentary, award-winning filmmaker Heinz Emigholz continues his exploration of "architecture as autobiography" by examining the work of legendary bridge-builder Robert Maillart, who revolutionized concrete-based construction. He utilized the structural strength of reinforced concrete, establishing a structural form based on both flat and curved concrete slabs reinforced with steel. In doing so, he brought out the expressive potential of concrete.

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MAKE ME THINK: BRUCE NAUMAN
Directed by Heinz Peter Schwerfel, 1997

Visit the challenging world of Bruce Nauman, a multi-faceted artist who believes that the importance of a work of art is in the process of making it. With this philosophy at the core of his work, he became a major player in the conceptual art movements of the 20th century.

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THE MIRROR OF THE SOUL:
The Forough Farrokhzad Trilogy
Directed by Nasser Saffarian, 2000-2004

Forough Farrokhzad, Iran's most celebrated contemporary poet became a legend in her own time for her innovative and controversial poetry. In this extensive, three-part documentary, Farrokhzad's life, work, and very soul are laid bare so the world can discover this remarkable artist. In Farsi with English subtitles.

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MONSTER IN THE FOREST: THE STORY OF
THE CYCLOP
Directed by Louise Faure and Anne Julien, 2005

In 1969, sculptor Jean Tinguely began an amazing artistic adventure with his wife, artist Niki de Saint Phalle. With help from a group of their artist friends, the pair started construction on the Cyclop in a park on the outskirts of Paris -- a monumental sculpture made of twisted metal, mirrors, stairways, footbridges, fountains, and a gigantic eye in the middle of the "forehead." Inside, an installation of noisy gears, unique gadgets, and riotous machines. In French with English subtitles.

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MR. BING & L'ART NOUVEAU
Directed by Francoise Levie, 2004

An extraordinary individual, Siegfried Bing was the inspiration and force behind the art movement known as art nouveau promoting artists as diverse and talented as Munch and Toulouse-Lautrec.

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NAM JUNE PAIK:
LESSONS FROM THE VIDEO MASTER
Directed by Skip Blumberg, 2006

Media artist Nam June Paik broke the rules of both art and television by bridging the gap between the two. Nam June Paik: Lessons From the Video Master offers three films that reveal not only the artist but also the human being. Video artist Skip Blumberg's title film features 47 stylized but insightful interviews with Paik's friends, collaborators, and protégés.

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A POET ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE:
A Docu-Diary on Allen Ginsberg
Directed by Gyula Gazdag, 1996

A day in the life of Allen Ginsberg spent with Hungarian writer, poet, and translator Istvan Eorsi, and a small camera crew in the streets of New York. Sharing thoughtful discussions with the famed American Beat poet, Eorsi himself was known for his sarcastic, often abrasive style and passionately held political views on revisionist Marxism and the 1956 Hungarian revolution, for which he was subsequently jailed.

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ROBINSON IN SPACE
Directed by Patrick Keiller, 1997

Architect-turned-filmmaker Patrick Keiller expands and inventively redefines the documentary format in this unique "travelogue" of England. A bit of witty and droll humor is introduced through the commentary of the offscreen narrator (veteran actor Paul Scofield).

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SCANDALOUS IMPRESSIONISTS
Directed by Francois Levy-Kuentz, 2010

135 years ago, painters such as Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Degas created a sensation—a bona fide French scandal—at the painting salons because they dared to paint color, form, and light differently. They dared to see differently. Considered rebels, rascals, and radicals, the Impressionists questioned the standard practices of painting, challenged the Academy’s authority over those practices, criticized the tastes of galleries and salons, and revolutionized how and what to paint. This documentary offers insight into the artistic world's mistrust of the Impressionists and chronicles the movement's 30-year struggle for legitimacy.

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SCHINDLER'S HOUSES
Directed by Heinz Emigholz, 2007

Heinz Emigholz, the premier purveyor of architectural oddities (D'Annunzio’s Cave; Goff in the Desert), offers a stunning portrait of urban Los Angeles through the houses of Austrian- American architect Rudolph Schindler. Using no voiceover, historical photos, or other conventions of standard documentaries, the film presents beautifully composed shots of 40 of Schindler's houses in the order in which they were built.

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STILL LIFE
Directed by Harun Farocki, 1997

In this powerful meditation on art and perception, still-life paintings of the Dutch masters are compared with their contemporary equivalents -- advertisements for beer, cheese, and watches. Farocki then goes behind the scenes of a modern advertizing office to show ad execs toiling to create their version of a "still life." Yet, the comparison does not yield what the viewer might expect. In his commentary, Farocki, who earned money to finance the work by taking on commercial photo shoots, acknowledges the need for artistic compromise while de-mythologizing the creative process.

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SULLIVAN'S BANKS
Directed by Heinz Emigholz, 2001

During the twilight of his career, legendary Chicago architect Louis Sullivan -- called the "Father of Modernism" -- constructed the eight banks that are showcased in this unique documentary. Collectively referred to as Sullivan's Jewel Boxes, these banks are located in ordinary small towns across America's heartland. All appear solid, like cathedrals of capitalism, yet they are also discreetly ornate, which makes them stand out among their flat, Midwestern surroundings.

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VASYA
Directed by Andrei Zagdansky, 2002

Vasiliy Sitnikov is a man without a passport, officially declared insane and having spent his life in and out of mental institutions. Yet, he is the key figure of the non-conformist art movement in the former Soviet Union. In English, Russian and German with English subtitles.

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WHAT ABOUT STYLE?
Alex Katz: A Painter's Painter
Directed by Heinz Peter Schwerfel, 2003

For over 50 years, painter Alex Katz has bucked the trends and fashions of modern art to present his own style of figure painting. His flat, elegant, and realistic style makes him a pioneer in figure painting but an unsung hero to the general public. What About Style? offers an unflinching portrait of a maverick artist.

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WHO WAS KAFKA?
Directed by Richard Dindo, 2005

Who Was Kafka? explores this and much about the secretive and legendary literary figure who, according to director Richard Dindo, "wrote perhaps the most beautiful letters in the history of literature." Using actors to play the people who knew Kafka the best, the film features "interviews" with historical figures who respond using the actual words they wrote about their unique relationships with the writer. In French, English, or German, with English or French subtitles.

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