This film is currently unavailable
The Story of Film part 1: The World Discovers a New Art Form
Lyrical tribute to the moving image begins with an establishing shot: the birth of the movies - spanning 1895 to 1918.
Director: Mark Cousins
Overview
Mark Cousin's heroic love-letter begins at the birth of his chosen art form: the movies. In the very buildings that made those first films, he shows how ideas and passion always trumped money and marketing, We hear the story of the first movie stars, close-ups and special effects and then go to Hollywood, which mass produced myths as fast as movie cathedrals could be built to screen them.
Related
South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic
Documentary 1919 81 mins Silent Director: Frank Hurley
An extraordinary story of survival in the wastes of Antarctica.
The Ballymurphy Precedent The Ballymurphy Precedent
Documentary 2018 108 mins Director: Callum Macrae
John Pilger's film on the conflict in Northern Ireland is a skilful mix of investigative journalism, documentary storytelling and reflections on contemporary history.
Utopia Utopia
Documentary 2013 111 mins Director: John Pilger and Alan Lowery
John Pilger's portrayal of the oldest continuous human culture is also an investigation into a suppressed colonial past, and rapacious present.
The Coming War on China The Coming War on China
Documentary 2016 113 mins Director: John Pilger
John Pilger’s prescient 60th film for ITV is both a warning and an inspiring story of resistance.
Supersonic Supersonic
Documentary 2016 117 mins Director: Mat Whitecross
Relive the stratospheric rise of the kings of Britpop in this rousing nostalgic trip from the producers of Amy.
Gascoigne Gascoigne
Documentary 2015 87 mins Director: Jane Preston
Documentary portrait of the mercurial football genius who inspired the game’s modern renaissance while battling personal demons.
The Story of Film part 2: The Triumph of American Film The Story of Film part 2: The Triumph of American Film
Documentary 2011 61 mins Director: Mark Cousins
The 1920s. Moving between Hollywood, Denmark and Moscow, Mark Cousins shows how glamour and gravitas battled to define film.
The Story of Film part 3: The Great Rebel Filmmakers Around the World The Story of Film part 3: The Great Rebel Filmmakers Around the World
Documentary 2011 61 mins Director: Mark Cousins
Testing the limits of cinema, German Expressionism, Soviet montage and other international movements are launched.
The Story of Film part 4: The Great American Movie Genres and the Brilliance The Story of Film part 4: The Great American Movie Genres and the Brilliance
Documentary 2011 61 mins Director: Mark Cousins
The Talkies begin, bringing new genres and new masters like Hawks and Hitchcock. Written and presented by Mark Cousins.
The Story of Film part 5: The Devastation of War and a New Movie Language The Story of Film part 5: The Devastation of War and a New Movie Language
Documentary 2011 61 mins Director: Mark Cousins
Between 1939-1952, cinema got darker - reflecting the tumult and carnage of war – and more daring. Mark Cousins investigates.
Part 6: The Swollen Story World Cinema Bursting at the Seams Part 6: The Swollen Story World Cinema Bursting at the Seams
Documentary 2011 61 mins Director: Mark Cousins
The story reaches the 1950s. Cinema across the world is dominated by melodrama and sex proves to be big business.
The Story of Film part 7: The Shock of the New Modern Filmmaking in Western Europe The Story of Film part 7: The Shock of the New Modern Filmmaking in Western Europe
Documentary 2011 61 mins Director: Mark Cousins
The French New Wave propels Europe into creative overdrive, heralding fresh filmmaking talent from Truffaut to Bresson and beyond.
My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock
Documentary 2022 120 mins Director: Mark Cousins
Mark Cousins re-examines the vast filmography and legacy of one of the 20th century’s greatest filmmakers, through a new lens: the auteur’s own voice.
The Story of Film: A New Generation The Story of Film: A New Generation
Documentary 2020 160 mins Director: Mark Cousins
Mark Cousins returns with another journey across the landscape of film, examining what changes the 21st century has brought.
The Story of Looking The Story of Looking
Documentary 2021 87 mins Director: Mark Cousins
Mark Cousins’ personal meditation on the power of looking.
Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema Part 5 Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema Part 5
Documentary 2019 122 mins Director: Mark Cousins
The journey ends with the biggest themes of love, death and the meaning of life.
Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema Part 4 Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema Part 4
Documentary 2019 178 mins Director: Mark Cousins
Melodrama, memory, classic genres and tense emotions come under the spotlight in the fourth part of Mark Cousins' sprawling opus.
Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema Part 3 Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema Part 3
Documentary 2019 178 mins Director: Mark Cousins
Sex, religion and politics are among the themes in the third part of Mark Cousins' monumental documentary on women's cinema.
South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic
Documentary 1919 81 mins Silent Director: Frank Hurley
An extraordinary story of survival in the wastes of Antarctica.
Night Courier (Mandoob) Night Courier (Mandoob)
Comedy 2023 112 mins Director: Ali Kalthami
A desperate delivery driver gets caught up in the dark underworld of Riyadh in Ali Kalthami’s gripping, pitch-black satire.
The Ballymurphy Precedent The Ballymurphy Precedent
Documentary 2018 108 mins Director: Callum Macrae
John Pilger's film on the conflict in Northern Ireland is a skilful mix of investigative journalism, documentary storytelling and reflections on contemporary history.
Utopia Utopia
Documentary 2013 111 mins Director: John Pilger and Alan Lowery
John Pilger's portrayal of the oldest continuous human culture is also an investigation into a suppressed colonial past, and rapacious present.
The Coming War on China The Coming War on China
Documentary 2016 113 mins Director: John Pilger
John Pilger’s prescient 60th film for ITV is both a warning and an inspiring story of resistance.
Girls Will Be Girls Girls Will Be Girls
Drama 2024 119 mins Director: Shuchi Talati
Teenage romance simmers in a strict Himalayan boarding school in this sublime coming-of-age tale. Winner of the 2024 Sundance audience prize.