Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine

When Marvin Hamlisch passed away in August 2012 the worlds of music, theatre and cinema lost a talent the likes of which we may never see again. Seemingly destined for greatness, Hamlisch was accepted into New York’s Juilliard School as a 6-year-old musical prodigy and rapidly developed into a phenomenon. With instantly classic hits ‘The Way We Were’ and ‘Nobody Does It Better’ and scores for Hollywood films such as The Swimmer, The Sting and Sophie’s Choice and the Broadway juggernaut A Chorus Line; Hamlisch became the go-to composer for film and Broadway producers and a prominent presence on the international Concert Hall circuit. His streak was staggering, vast, unprecedented and glorious, by the age of 31 Hamlisch had won 4 Grammys, an Emmy, 3 Oscars, a Tony and a Pulitzer prize: success that burned so bright, it proved impossible to match.

Olympic Champion, Kiwi Icon, Tongan Leader, Orphan, Mother...winning was just part of the journey.

NHK has followed baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani closely since his 2018 Major League debut. We look at Ohtani’s ability to both pitch and bat at the highest level. We hear from those who have supported him on and off the field and examine the importance of his father’s training regime. Join us behind the scenes at such pivotal points as Ohtani’s battle to recover from elbow surgery and reclaim his place as a baseball virtuoso like no other.

Californian artist David Best is pioneering a new kind of art where creative and emotive interaction is integral to his work. He is a unique visionary who has profoundly affected thousands of people. The Temple Builder explores the character and motivations of Best, within the context of his work and devoted crew and family. Focusing mainly on his temples - stunningly beautiful and intricately designed buildings, which are burned in order to salute the dead, The Temple Builder asks the question - is this life or art?

Balkan Baroque is a real and imaginary biography of the Yugoslavian performance artist Marina Abramovic. Rather than a mechanical reproduction of the artist's work, the film tries to create a new reality by translating the performances into cinematographic images that intensify the fictional context of the film. Abramovic plays herself, but ,appearing in multiple forms, blurs her own identity. Memories and fantasies intermingle with day to day rituals. The chronological narrative often breaks to reflect the interior voyage of the protagonist from the present to the past and back to the present. The result is a visually impressive film. Balkan Baroque had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, 1999.

A biographical documentary produced as part of the 20th anniversary project of the silent film appreciation society led by Shunsui Matsuda, who was known as a silent film narrator, film collector and exhibitor. The film features interviews with directors and related parties involved in the production while inserting scenes from period dramas starring Tsumasanburo Bando throughout from Matsuda’s extensive collection. Completed in 1980 but not released to the general public until 1993 on the 40th anniversary of Bando’s death and Matsuda’s seventh anniversary.

An experimental documentary portrait of director Malcolm Quinn Silver-Van Meter's grandfather

Chronicles the wild life of one of WWE's greatest performers and most enduring villains. After drug addiction nearly cost him his life, Shawn Michaels, aka "The Heartbreak Kid," made one of the most improbable late-career comebacks in WWE history. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

"The World According to Arild Kristo" - A portrait of the Norwegian photographer, designer, screenwriter and filmmaker Arild Kristo (1939 - 2010). The son of a cabaret singer. Who made his first film only 11 years old. Worked as a piccolo at Hotel Bristol in Oslo . Took to the sea and was involved in the filming of "Windjammer" (1958). Freelance photographer in the US during the 60's. An outsider who lived a very different kind of life. In Paris or Berlin or Oslo.