Journeys Through French Cinema — Season 1, Episode 4: Under German Occupation
Documentary • 56 min • 1 season, 8 episodes • ★ 8.5/10
Episode synopsis
Discussing the artistic and political atmosphere during the German occupation, Tavernier explores the ways in which French cinema was enriched by foreign talent as many directors, cinematographers, and technicians forced to leave their native countries for political reasons settled in France. Using a selection of illuminating clips, Tavernier illustrates how the majority of films made during this period upheld a powerful spirit of resistance against the anti-Semitic Vichy regime and dealt with difficult topics head-on. Filmmakers discussed include Viktor Tourjanski, Robert Siodmak, Jean-Paul Le Chanois, Albert Valentin, and André Cayatte.
About Journeys Through French Cinema
My Journey Through French Cinema (2017), Bertrand Tavernier’s César-nominated three-and-a-half-hour tour through French film history, was too short to introduce audiences to all that he wanted to share. In this new eight-part series (8x55min), the acclaimed director of such films as Coup de Torchon and ‘Round Midnight guides us through a roster of filmmakers both influential and forgotten, explores how his country’s cinema was shaped by the German occupation and changed again through the New Wave, spotlights little-known female filmmakers, and more. Subjects include: René Clément, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Julien Duvivier, Henri Decoin, Claude Autant-Lara, as well as composers who made movie music an art in and of itself, far from the Hollywood spotlight.