Art History

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the staging of a major operatic production, Verdi's masterpiece, "La Traviata," starring world-famous French coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay and directed by the celebrated Jean-Francois Sivardier.

When FSA photographer Arthur Rothstein came to Virginia in 1935, his assignment was to photograph local residents displaced by Shenandoah National Park. But as this documentary uncovers, Rothstein would play a role in the forced institutionalization and sterilization of many of the area's residents, establishing a disturbing connection between the American eugenics movement and Depression-era documentary work.

Centered around the development and staging of a complex work of modern puppet theater, this illuminating documentary offers a look at the fascinating history of American puppetry - its cultural roots and influence - as well as its current renaissance.

An intimate appreciation of two iconic American artists, photographer Dorothea Lange and painter Maynard Dixon, this engrossing documentary recounts their story from the unique perspective of their eldest son, featuring plentiful examples of their work alongside rare and never-before-seen photographs.

A beautiful and illuminating investigation into the ineffable relationship we have with art, Hidden Treasures introduces us to people who spend their days and nights surrounded by great works of art and have developed powerful, life-changing bonds.

In the past twenty years, some of the most provocative, controversial and sought-after art has been made in China. This documentary profiles the booming art scene, from new art schools inundated with applications to leading Chinese artists whose work is selling for record breaking prices on the global art market.

Winner of multiple awards, Marwencol explores the real and imaginary worlds of Mark Hogancamp, who, as therapy for a vicious attack, built a 1/6th scale WWII-era town in his backyard populated with dolls that enact epic stories of violence, longing and revenge.

The incredible story of how a treasure trove of banned Soviet art worth millions of dollars was found in the desert of Uzbekistan develops into a larger exploration of how art survives in times of oppression. A fascinating documentary about a group of visionary artists and one man who risked his life to rescue their work.

In the age of Photoshop, Typeface explores the centuries-old tradition of hand-making wood type and the role it played in American graphic design. The latest documentary from award-winning production company Kartemquin Films, Typeface further examines the surprising resurgence of this analog craft in a digital age.

A rich historical record of Chicano art, life and culture since WWII, A Life in Print profiles influential artist and printmaker Xavier Viramontes, founding member of Galeria de la Raza, whose iconoclastic silkscreen poster for the United Farmworkers rallied a nation and sparked the Chicano movement in art.

Over the past four decades, Isaiah Zagar has covered more than 50,000 square feet of Philadelphia with stunning mosaic murals. The murals chronicle his love for his family and subtly hint at inner torments. In a Dream is a loving, but unsparing psychological portrait of an artist, the artistic process and mental illness.

A journey into the world of outsider art, as seen through the works of Judith Scott, an artist with Down Syndrome whose enigmatic sculptures have won her worldwide acclaim.

A magical portrait of Russia's revolutionary artistic avant-garde - Mayakovsky, Voloshin, Blok, Malevich, Tatlin - through the life of Sonia Dymshitz-Tolstaya, an impassioned artist whose life reflected the social upheavals of her time. She was one of the few Jewish women who became part of this inner circle.

From Buena Vista Social Club to Hollywood blockbusters, Havana's crumbling architecture has been romanticized in countless movies. But what about the people who must live in these buildings? A unique thought-provoking portrait of Havana's inhabited ruins and their curious blend of magic and decay.

Earlier this year, Gustav Klimt's "Adele Bloch-Bauer I" was sold for $135 million, the largest amount ever paid for a painting. This wonderful new documentary invites viewers to explore Vienna at the turn-of-the-century and the rich artistic movement that engendered such a work.

An acclaimed documentary on American artist Leon Golub, whose politically charged work calls attention to human rights violations and the abuse of power around the world.

A documentary film about the life and career of noted photographer, Walter Rosenblum, covering his work with the Photo League, described by The New York Times as suffused with formal beauty and expressive power and tenderness.

This poignant and inspiring documentary tells the story of Coopa-Roca, a cooperative of seamstresses in a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro who, in an effort to provide an income for their families, design and manufacture women’s clothing and accessories.

Painter Arie Galles created a series of charcoal drawings based on surveillance photographs of German concentration camps called 'Fourteen Stations'.

This video follows the sculptures of the late Jean Tinguely (1925-1991), one of Europe’s most popular artists, as they are transported from his Swiss studio to their new home at the Museum of Basel.