Documentaries

Braunberger

Documentaries by François Reichenbach, Jean Rouch and Luis Buñuel
60 hours - Represented by GP archives

One of the greatest French producers of all time, Pierre Braunberger was perhaps best known for producing the films of Jean Renoir, the first New Wave cinema features, and the work of various other directors. He produced over 100 feature films and 300 shorts. 

Our marketing agreement covers the collection of documentaries produced by Braunberger’s companies Films du Jeudi and Films de la Pléïade. When delving into this rich collection, the outstanding quality of Braunberger's work shines through.  

Documentaries by François Reichenbach :
Reichenbach is undoubtedly one of the greatest documentary filmmakers of the 20th century. His many pieces on Paris include: 

Visage de Paris (The Face of Paris) [1955, colour]:
magnificent picture-postcard colour images of Paris in 1955 (lovers strolling beside the Seine, children watching a Punch and Judy show, Montmartre, street vendors, traffic and more).

François Reichenbach also filmed striking reports during his many trips to the Unites States, including:

L’Amérique Insolite (Unusual America) [1960 – colour]: full-length documentary on various aspects of America:
- Disneyland in 1960
- A prisoner rodeo
- A nursery school
- A university campus
- Las Vegas
- Teenage-delinquent rockers

Les Marines (1957 – B&W):
An amazing report on the physical and psychological training undergone by Marines - startling images that still resonate today.

Jean Rouch - Africa from a different perspective:
Jean Rouch revolutionized ethnographic cinema. In these images, Africa is portrayed without prejudice and Africans are given their say. 

Wildlife films by Gérard Calderon:
Gérard Calderon, who began his career with Jean Rostand, is one of the best producers of wildlife films. 

Le Bestiaire d’Amour (The Bestiary of Love):
Documentary on love and animals.

Le Risque de Vivre (The Risk of Living):
From unicellular organisms to top-of-the-food-chain mammals, this film portrays the eternal struggle for survival in the animal kingdom.

Other exceptional films:

Voyage au Congo (1926 – B&W - 101'):
In 1925-1926, André Gide made a long tour of the Congo that was captured by  Marc Allégret . This film presents an outstanding 100-minute tribute to the African people of the time and to the vision possessed by a writer of André Gide's calibre.

Terre sans Pain (Land without Bread) [1932 - B&W - 28’]:
a documentary by Luis Buñuel. 
After producing Un Chien Andalou and L’Age d’Or, Luis Buñuel returned to Spain in 1932 to film a documentary, Estremadura: Las Hurdes, exploring a desolate region of the country .

Hippies à San Francisco (1968 - colour – 28'):
directed by Anne de Gasperi.
A documentary on hippies in San Francisco.

Plus several films on bullfighting by Lucien Clergue and Pierre Braunberger .