Arguing that advertising not only sells things, but also ideas about the world, media scholar Sut Jhally offers a blistering analysis of commercial culture's inability to let go of reactionary gender representations. Jhally's starting point is the breakthrough work of the late sociologist Erving Goffman, whose 1959 book The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life prefigured the growing field of performance studies. Jhally applies Goffman's analysis of the body in print advertising to hundreds of print ads today, uncovering an astonishing pattern of regressive and destructive gender codes. By looking beyond advertising as a medium that simply sells products, and beyond analyses of gender that tend to focus on either biology or objectification, The Codes of Gender offers important insights into the social construction of masculinity and femininity, the relationship between gender and power, and the everyday performance of cultural norms.
Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.
In a quest to take control of her personal health, actor Selma Blair adapts to new ways of living while pursuing an experimental medical procedure, after revealing her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2018.
A nude woman relaxing on a bed to Minnie Riperton's song Les Fleurs is exited by its chorus. Director Saam Farahmand heats up the body hair debate.
An intimate portrait of the superb actress Gena Rowlands, icon of independent cinema. Together with her husband, legendary director John Cassavetes (1929-89), she lived an unusual life beyond the dream factory, a life in which reality and fiction were so perfectly intertwined that it made possible films that still today seem incredibly real.
For twenty years, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been an extraordinary couple, sharing moments of happiness but also their flaws. On January 17, 2024, the whole world learned that Catherine Middleton had just undergone major abdominal surgery. The news came as a bombshell. Why did Kate and William keep this procedure secret? What is the Princess of Wales suffering from? With King Charles III battling cancer, are they ready to reign?
This short film takes a look at the off-screen personas of screen actors. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
Singer, dancer, and actress, Liza, daughter of Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland, with whom she had a close relationship, made a name for herself on Broadway and in Hollywood with her unique voice and flamboyant style. A sensitive portrait of the unforgettable Sally Bowles from Cabaret.
Piche, a bearded drag queen and rapper from a Gypsy community in Arles, rises from the rupture of her father cutting ties in adolescence to the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony. With her mother Nadia and twin brother Morgan by her side, she dares to defy norms and becomes a leading voice of the queer revolution.
In his second international bestseller, "Arc de Triomphe," author Erich Maria Remarque explores his own experience of exile and his decisive encounter with Marlene Dietrich. From Paris and Antibes to Los Angeles and New York, the documentary traces the moving genesis of this highly autobiographical novel, now considered a major work of European exile literature, and the literary legacy of the long-standing passion between two global stars.
When looking at Pedro Almodóvar’s filmography, it becomes evident that women are everywhere; in fact, his work revolves around them. His divas are the best to create a real portrait of Almodóvar and evoke the emotional power of his films. These women are the ideal observers of a cinematic career that, from La Mancha to Hollywood, has changed the image of Spain in the world.
Amanda Montejo is a trans woman, make up artist, Guadalupana and a witch. This documentary portrait explores different facets of her spirituality and fragments of her past, revealing the duality of her being.
Born in Campo de Criptana, a small village in the Spanish region of La Mancha, Sara Montiel (1928-2013) conquered Mexico, Hollywood, and the hearts of people. The recognition of an unparalleled professional career, an intimate dialogue with a tireless worker who took the stage at the age of twelve and never got off. A movie star who seduced millions of viewers around the world, a singer who reinvented a musical genre, a woman who broke the mold…
An exploration of the link between science and beauty through the work of scientists at CERN, in Geneva.
A look back at Charlie Chaplin's early life and career, from his rough childhood and music hall success in England to his early Hollywood days and the development of his enormously popular character, the Little Tramp, also called Charlot.
Can you become a star without being a loudmouth? Absolutely, and Bourvil is proof of that. This discreet artist had many talents: he was both an actor and a singer, with equal success and enjoyment. First noticed for his songs and sketches, in which he created the character of the village idiot, he learned through experience the art of creating characters who were naive, certainly, but increasingly subtle. We propose to look back on the all too brief life of this man who was as endearing as he was discreet.
The brilliant self-taught pianist Erroll Garner left his mark on jazz forever. His song Misty, which he allegedly composed between two concerts on an aeroplane, immediately became one of the great jazz standards and is still one of the most covered ballads in the world today. Who was the man behind the ever-friendly smile from the ghettos of Pittsburgh, whose talent brought him to the biggest international stages?
Harris produced and directed television programs for Playboy Television between 1995 and 1999, such as Ron Harris' Camera Up-Close & Dangerous, Ron Harris' Star Shapes, a series of seven one-hour specials and Naturals a series of five one-hour specials.
At just 24 years old, Imen ES, originally from Sevran, a city often seen as the archetype of a rough suburb and the birthplace of a raw hip-hop scene, has made her mark. Today, nothing can stop her. Starting out with the image of a "little sister," she has now transformed into a "queen," collaborating with renowned artists in France.
Mother India is home to many castes, tribes and religions and one common factor that brings this diverse country all together is Jewelry. Come explore the deep history and culture of the jewelry of India dating back more than 5000 years. As we explore the history we also take you into Bangalore, India and talk to local Jewelry Stores and Jewelry Artisans as they share their stories and their family history of their involvement in jewelry going far back into their family ancestry.