Tim Jenison, a Texas-based inventor, attempts to solve one of the greatest mysteries in all art: How did seventeenth century Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer manage to paint so photo-realistically, 150 years before the invention of photography? Spanning ten years, his adventure takes him to Delft, Holland, where Vermeer painted his masterpieces, to the north coast of Yorkshire to meet artist David Hockney, and even to Buckingham Palace to see a Vermeer...

Martin Scorsese directs and narrates this personal documentary about Italian film and select Italian filmmakers and the influence they had on him. It begins with an overview of Scorsese's family history including their Sicilian roots, life in Little Italy, and the filmmaker's recollections of watching neorealist and epic Italian films on television and how those movies acted as a lifeline for the older members of his family, maintaining their connection...

Nominated for an Academy Award, John Junkerman's documentary film Hellfire: A Journey from Hiroshima captures the artists Iri and Toshi Maruki in their decades-long collaboration to create a testament to the effects of the atomic bomb- the Hiroshima Murals, which have been viewed by over 100 million people around the world. Haunted by the memories of Hiroshima after the atomic blast, the Marukis began a series of monumental paintings depicting what...

Robert Hughes explores the world of Goya and gives a very personal commentary on his paintings, charting his achievements as a court painter, satirist, and war reporter, and finally as the topographer of the inner self, madness, fear, and despair.

Expert insights from curators and leading cultural critics explore the inspiration behind Bosch's strang and unsettling works. Close-up views of the curiosities allow viewers to appreciate the detail of his paintings like never before. Bosch's legendary altarpieces, which have long been divided among museums, were brought back together for the exhibition and feature in the film.

"A filmmaker who is stumped but captivated by Emily Dickinson's poetry searches for 'flashes of insight' into the elusive poet beyond those offered by his lively but traditional interviews with experts such as actress Julie Harris and U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. So he turns to shrinks, a sensitive, a stand-up comic, a rock band, even a fan with an Emily tattoo across his back. Still unsatisfied, he holds auditions in which dozens of actresses...

Brian De Palma speaks on his body of work via a film-by-film commentary, as well as his early life, his approach to the craft of filmmaking, and his experiences in the film business since the mid-1960s.

Acclaimed director Phil Grabsky will bring to the cinema around the world the life and music of Fryderyk Chopin - one of the greatest composers of all time. His grave in Paris remains a place of pilgrimage and his music continues to sell out concert halls worldwide - but who exactly was this man who was terrified of public performance, who fled his Polish homeland for Paris never to return, took up with the most notorious transvestite in France, rarely...

Alexandre decides to set off for Italy with the idea of completing his draft of a book on Borromini, and his wife Alienor comes along. Once there, they meet Goffredo, who is set to embark in architectural studies, and Lavinia, who is suffering from a nervous disorder. Alienor decides to stay to help Lavinia, and Alexandre continues on his travels with Goffredo. This separation for husband and wife will be the start of an inner journey for them both....

Six episodes combine history, biography, iconic performances, new analysis and the personal passion of its celebrated hosts, to tell the story behind the stories of Shakespeare₂s greatest plays.