In the early decades of the 20th century, a storm of modernism swept through the art worlds of the West, uprooting centuries of tradition in the visual arts, music, literature, dance, theater and beyond. The epicenter of this storm was Paris, France. The film explores Paris from 1905 to 1930, decisive years for our contemporary culture, when an international group including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Igor Stravinsky, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Vaslav Nijinsky revolutionized the direction of the modern arts. The film looks at the city from a new and fresh perspective – the importance of a particular place in artistic creation – and tells the story of Paris as magnet: the catalyst and the transforming force that attracted the finest talents of the era, molding the lives and work of two remarkable generations.

Written, directed and produced by Perry Miller Adato.

Paris: The Luminous Years

1960 US 120 min
Festival Year: 1990
Types: Documentary
Topic: Global Perspectives