Shot on location in Mali, this film sets looks past Western preconceptions to see the art of Africa through the eyes of Africans. It reappraises the enormous influence of African art on twentieth-century Modernism, on the work of artists such as Picasso, and includes contributions from some of the leading curators and academics who are now advocating the need to set African art against the background of the huge diversity of the cultures and traditions which have produced it.
William Blake
As a biographer of William Blake, novelist Peter Ackroyd acts as guide to the visionary imagination of one of England’s most fascinating sons. Born in 1757, the poet, painter and engraver was a radical spirit, fired by genius. Ackroyd examines Blake’s artistic achievement and assesses his continuing appeal for revolutionaries of every kind. He also conjures up the dark, violent, depressing world of late-Georgian London. Actor Michael Loughnan portrays Blake.
Vermeer
The life and work of the great Dutch painter Vermeer (1632-75) are shrouded in mystery. He left no papers, no drawings, no clues as to the meaning or intention of his work, just thirty-five paintings, eight children and a mass of debts. Using the pictures themselves and the testimony of expert witnesses, award-winning director Michael Gill’s film profile is an investigation into the art, life and ambitions of this enigmatic artist. It draws on modern science to probe the means by which Vermeer made his simple subjects seem infinitely profound.
Dame Barbara Cartland
A glorious eccentric of the truly British variety, Dame Barbara Cartland (1901-2000) remains the world’s most famous romantic novelist. Her tales of square-jawed heroes and melting, virginal heroines sell in their millions world-wide. This film was made with her when she was in her late nineties, still writing an average of twenty-three novels a year and actively involved with her favourite good causes. Seen at her stately home in Hertfordshire, and on a trip to New York, Dame Barbara is indomitable.
Tom Sharpe
Tom Sharpe is one of Britain’s finest comic novelists. Focusing on Grantchester Grind, this programme examines the blend of free-wheeling fantasy and acute comment that characterise his bawdy disaster epics, which build from small scrapes into avalanches of hilarious rudery. As well as discussing his writing and the subject of literature, Sharpe talks about his life and his experience of living in South Africa in the 1950s. Extracts from the television dramatisations of Porterhouse Blue and Blott on the Landscape are included.
The French Chanson
Charles Aznavour, Juliette Gréco, Petula Clark and Mireille are among the singers who take part in an exploration of the French chanson, looking at its history, its distinctive character, its stars, its enduring popularity and its unique role in French culture. Material drawn from sound and film archives featuring many of the great chansonniers is included, and the final vital ingredient in the programme is Paris, home of the chanson, captured in a melancholy, wintry mood.
Dame Judi Dench
Gifted as both a comedienne and a tragic actress, Dame Judi Dench’s career spans over four decades and has encompassed stage, television and film roles. For this programme, the cameras were allowed generous access to film Dench as she rehearsed the lead role in the Sondheim musical A Little Night Music at the Royal National Theatre in London. In addition to this fascinating insight into her method of developing a role, there is an in-depth interview with this remarkable actress.
A Finnish Opera in the Making: The Palace
Featuring interviews with Aulis Sallinen, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Irene Dische and Okko Kamu, this documentary introduces The Palace and also shows the magnificent setting of the Savonlinna Opera Festival, which takes place each summer in the courtyard of the Olavinlinna castle, the best-preserved medieval fortification in the Nordic countries.
Directed by Jarmo Jääskelainen
Valery Gergiev – Catching Up With Music
Dynamic and inspiring, Russian conductor Valéry Gergiev’s dedication to his work and his passion for music are unbounded. In recent years he has revitalised the Kirov Opera and the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, created the Mikkeli International Festival in Finland, conducted virtually all of the major international orchestras and become the Principal Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic. This documentary covers the wide spectrum of Gergiev’s musical activities, shows him in rehearsal and performance and includes an in-depth interview.
k. d. lang
Shot on location in Vancouver and Los Angeles, this intimate portrait charts k. d. lang’s journey from her childhood in Canada to superstardom. The vocalist gave the cameras unprecedented access to film her as she worked on her album All You Can Eat and she is seen with her long-time collaborator Ben Mink, laying down the type of multi-octave, soaring vocals that have earned her the reputation of being one of the most outstanding popular singers of her generation.