Filmed on location in England’s outstandingly picturesque
Lake District, The New Art Doctor combines the revelation of
incisive art techniques set against a backdrop of some of
the most beautiful English countryside.
This refreshing new series allows viewers to watch a work
of art being created before their eyes in one hour of real
time, showing...
In Search of the Messiah reveals a miracle of engineering
and exposes an extraordinary world of politics, deception,
crime and passion, spanning over 350 years of history. The
title of the documentary is inspired by the most perfectly
preserved Stradivari violin in existence: The Messiah, which
is displayed in a glass case at Oxford’s Ashmolean...
They have been playing together for over 40 years, they have
been honoured with OBEs, and they are officially the hardest
working band in the UK. This is the definitive history of
infamous rock band Status Quo – a no-holds-barred,
access-all-areas look at the band, from their rebellious
origins in the ’60s right through to...
From the lazy late night Samba beats in the clubs of Rio’s
backstreets to the pulsating rhythms of the heart of Bahia,
Slave to the Rhythm showcases the brilliance of African
Brazilian musical talent today.
In Brazil, groups of children on the streets use their
hands as drumsticks to keep beat on tables and chairs.
Rhythms...
Sonia Rykiel is a timeless fashion icon. At the age of 80,
she is still among the most creative and successful
designers in the world, and has just released a collection
of underwear for international high-street store H&M. Sonia
Rykiel: Rebel and Visionary is an intimate documentary
portrait of Rykiel, revealing the sensitive woman behind...
Marking the recent anniversary of the topping of St Paul’s
Cathedral in London, public artist Martin Firrell exhibited
text illuminations onto this iconic building. His
controversial projections, in English, Arabic and Hindi,
explore the relationship between art, faith and everyday
life, tackling the crucial question of what makes life worth
living.
Described as ‘the artful dodger meets...
Inspired by the great Andy Warhol, eccentric photographer
David LaChapelle has created a surreal and boundless world
where women are pictured swinging from crystal chandeliers,
squashed by giant hamburgers and half swallowed by sharks.
Renowned for the wild imagination and erotic charge of his
images, LaChapelle has become the hottest photographer of
the moment, and celebrities...
Since his death in 1977, James Castle has gained world
recognition as a prominent self-taught artist. This
documentary is a revealing journey into the artist’s life
and creative process, as told by family members, art
historians, curators, artists, collectors, and members of
the deaf community.
James Castle was born deaf in 1899 in central Idaho. He
refused...
New York and Paris: Two cities whose names are synonymous
with passion and beauty. Both of these cities were
extensively photographed during their golden ages and the
results produced some of the most striking iconic images in
the history of photography. The two artists who carried out
this world-renowned work were linked together in a...
This is Civilisation is a contemporary revision of Lord
Clark’s British television landmark, Civilisation: A
Personal View. Presented by art critic Matthew Collings
(whose previous credits include the BAFTA award-winning This
is Modern Art), this 4-part series examines the world’s
greatest works of art and architecture, and looks into those
parts of art history which Clark...
Monumental Vision is an international arts and culture
series which follows the adventures of Andrew Rogers, one of
Australia’s most distinguished contemporary sculptors, as
he works in remote and exotic locations around the world –
Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Australia, Iceland, China, India,
Turkey, Nepal and Slovenia.
Rogers creates giant Earth Artworks made of rock and
designed to...
In this epic series, Britain’s best-known art critic,
Brian Sewell, retraces the journey of the Grand Tourists
through his own exploration of ancient Rome and Renaissance
Italy.
Setting off in search of a Lost Civilisation in the
footsteps of Byron, Turner, Boswell and others, Brian
journeys to some of the most romantic places on earth –
Milan,...
This fascinating one-off brings to life two of the biggest
characters in art – two larger-than-life immigrants who
were battling for nothing less than the future soul of
British painting: Sickert, the gruff, aggressive
man-of-the-people, and Sargent, the urbane and charming
dandy.
Focusing on some of the most beautiful and alarming
paintings ever made – pictures of...
This two part series looks at the rich heritage left by the
Moors who ruled southern Spain for eight centuries. Their
rule was punctuated by murderous politics, constant warfare
and family strife. But it produced outstanding architecture
and a memorable architectural legacy – much of which still
stands. The programmes trace the achievements of Al-Andalus,
concentrating...
This series showcases the glorious heritage left to us by
Islamic artists and architects – and explain the close
connection between the architectural splendour and the
religious message of Islam. Combining travelogue with
compelling story-telling, the programme is highly accessible
to a broad audience. Presented by Professor Akbar Ahmed, who
is at the forefront of attempts...
Best known as the birthplace of the fictitious Borat,
Kazakhstan is in fact a delightful country with an
extraordinary artistic past, and an even more extraordinary
artistic present. Art critic Waldemar Januszczak discovers
this when he travels there to investigate the shocking
stories he has been hearing about the mad experimental art
of modern Kazakhstan. Are...
Next: A Primer on Urban Painting is a documentary
exploration of graffiti-based visual art as a world of
culture which profiles the art form in the USA, Canada,
France, Holland, Germany, England, Spain, Japan and Brazil.
The film features interviews with important painters,
writers and designers who represent the dynamism and
creative brilliance of this emerging...
Percy Savage started fashion PR, introduced Saint-Laurent to
Dior, created the Mary Quant explosion, invented fashion
video and established London Fashion Week. This fascinating
documentary tells the story of his glittering career and
extraordinary influence on fashion, beauty and design.
Narrated by iconic model and actress Joanna Lumley, the film
features rare archive, exclusive footage, the...
Nearly 5 years in the making, and incorporating footage
spanning 19 years, one can say with unusual literalness that
DRAWING OUT THE DEMONS is about an artist’s journey. For
most of the 1990’s Attila worked in Berlin, where he lived
a wild lifestyle amongst Berlin’s gay underground.
Youthful, handsome, and with a clear sense of...
Well-known art critic Waldemar Januszczak explores the myths
behind and origins of some of the most famous and beautiful
paintings in the world. Who is the mysterious Mona Lisa, and
how did she come to feature in the most famous painting in
the world? What is the disturbing moral of Rembrandt's The
Anatomy Lesson of...
The first full-length biography of one of the world’s most
popular yet controversial artists, this epic documentary
follows the Paul Gauguin through countless twists and turns
in a remarkable life that takes him from an idyllic and
forgotten childhood in Peru to an horrific and notorious
death on the Marquesas Islands.
Gauguin is best known...
On a vast salt lake surrounded by red earth, world-renowned
sculptor Antony Gormley embarks on a sculptural installation
that awakens a small Goldfields town in remote Western
Australia. Inside Australia, Gormley's most ambitious work
to date, consists of 51 extraordinary sculptures standing
silently in the hot desert wind, capturing a moment in time.
The installation celebrates...
In one of the most highly acclaimed television series of
recent times, the inimitable Brian Sewell, Britain's most
famous and best-loved art critic and historian, makes the
pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. His remarkable
journey is at turns moving and hilarious. It is an
exploration of art and religious belief which takes Sewell
by boat, car...
The Bradshaws are possibly the oldest known cave paintings
of humans in the world. Found in the beautiful Kimberley
region of Australia and hidden from the outside world for
thousands of years, these are sophisticated and graceful
drawings, depicting highly decorated figures adorned with
tassels, delicate jewellery and elaborate headdresses.
This film follows the 25-year crusade...
Beijing Swings explores some of the most dark and disturbing
art in the world today, from a performance where an artist
eats a stillborn baby, and grafts some of his own skin to a
huge piece of pork, to a column made of human fat, and
photographic diary of a woman's menstruation.
The investigation of...
Think of Barcelona and you think of Gaudi – the spooky
gothic shapes of the Casa Battlo, the seaweed balconies of
La Pedrera and above all, the unfinished masterpiece that is
La Sagrada Familia. The genius who dreamed up all these
fantasies was a reclusive eccentric who rarely and
reluctantly left his native Catalonia. Gaudi's...
Graffiti Limbo offers unique insight into what may be the
ultimate expression of public art. Graffiti is a vibrant
combination of art and urban dissent that emerged from the
streets and inspired artists such as Keith Haring and Jean
Michel Basquiat. It is one of the few art forms where
artists face arrest and even...
The cultural heritage of Latin American countries is
inseparable from its music. Each country is steeped in its
own history. Its music is distinctive and infectious. The
series takes us on a fascinating journey through the
development of Latin America's most popular form of culture
- its music. From Cuba and the Salsa to Columbia...
A documentary on the life and work of maverick
cinematographer, Chris Doyle. This film showcases Doyle's
work using footage from his films such as Gus Van Sant's
remake of Psycho. The film contains fascinating shots of
Hong Kong street life in the city that Doyle has come to
love and call his home and draw...
Talking Pictures consists of two half hour portraits of two
of the world's leading film directors, Sir Richard
Attenborough and the controversial Ken Loach. The programmes
are both searching and compelling and succeed in giving the
audience a greater insight into what inspires these
directors.
