The best Roman Polanski’s documentary movies

Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski

18/08/1933 (90 años)
Roman Polanski (born 18 August 1933) is a Polish-French film director, producer, writer and actor. Born in Paris to Polish parents, Polanski relocated with his family to Poland in 1937. After surviving the Holocaust, he continued his education in Poland and became a critically acclaimed director of both art house and commercial films. Polanski's first feature-length film, Knife in the Water (1962), made in Poland, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He has since received five more Oscar nominations, and in 2002 received the Academy Award for Best Director for his film, The Pianist. He has also been the recipient of two Baftas, four Césars, a Golden Globe and the Palme d'Or. He left Poland in 1961 to live in France for several years, then moved to the United Kingdom where he collaborated with Gérard Brach on three films, beginning with Repulsion (1965). In 1968 he moved to the United States, immediately cementing his burgeoning directing status with the 1968 groundbreaking Academy Award winning horror film Rosemary's Baby. In 1969, Polanski's pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered while staying at the Polanski's Benedict Canyon home above Los Angeles by members of the Manson Family. Following Tate's death, Polanski returned to Europe and spent much of his time in Paris and Gstaad, but did not make another film until he filmed Macbeth (1971) in England. The following year he went to Italy to make What? (1973) and subsequently spent the next five years living near Rome. However, he traveled to Hollywood to direct Chinatown (1974) for Paramount Pictures, with Robert Evans serving as producer. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, and was a critical and box-office success; the script by Robert Towne won for Best Original Screenplay. Polanski's next film, The Tenant (1976), was shot in France, and completed the "Apartment Trilogy", following Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby. In 1977, after a photo shoot in Los Angeles, Polanski was arrested for the sexual abuse of a 13 year old girl. He was charged with rape but pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. To avoid sentencing, Polanski fled to his home in London, and then moved on to France the following day. He has had a U.S. arrest warrant outstanding since then, and an international arrest warrant since 2005. Polanski continued to make films such as The Pianist (2002), a World War II-set adaptation of Jewish-Polish musician Władysław Szpilman's autobiography of the same name, which echoed some of Polanski's earlier life experiences. Like Szpilman, Polanski escaped the ghetto and the concentration camps while family members were killed. The film won three Academy Awards including Best Director, the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, and seven French César Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. He then released the successful films Oliver Twist (2005), To Each His Own Cinema (2007), and The Ghost Writer (2010), completed while under house arrest. In September 2009, Polanski was arrested by Swiss police, at the request of U.S. authorities, when he traveled to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. In October 2009, the U.S. requested his extradition; however, on July 12, 2010, the Swiss rejected that request and instead declared him a "free man" after releasing him from custody.
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Seduced and Abandoned

Seduced and Abandoned
6.6/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 20/05/2013
  • Character: Himself
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

The Kid Stays in the Picture

The Kid Stays in the Picture
7.3/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 16/08/2002
  • Character: Himself (archive footage)
Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.

Henri Langlois vu par...

Henri Langlois vu par...
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 01/01/2014
  • Character: Self
Thirteen filmmakers talk about Henri Langlois and their relationship with him.

A Special Day

A Special Day
6.3/10
a film that premiered at the cannes film festival

The Ten Commandments of Creativity

The Ten Commandments of Creativity
5.9/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 01/02/2000
  • Character: Himself
Having struggled to crack his brief, Dennis Hopper decides the only honourable act is to throw himself off a roof. Before this final act, Sir Peter Ustinov appears and bestows the Ten Commandments of Creativity upon the desperate advertising executive. The Ten Commandments become a template to navigate the state of creativity. Featuring Tarantino, Jeff Koons, Sean Penn, and Malcolm McClaren.

Will the Real Mr. Sellers...

Will the Real Mr. Sellers...
7.9/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 18/12/1969
  • Character: Self
A BBC documentary portrait of Peter Sellers, filmed over a period of nine months in 1969 where director Tony Palmer interviews Sellers and friends and associates about the actor's career and life. At age 44, with 38 films already behind him, including Dr. Strangelove and two "Pink Panther" films, Sellers was then at the crest of his career. But his personal life, which included two bad marriages (and two more to come), a near-fatal 1964 heart attack, and increasingly disturbing personality disorders, was in tatters.

Tess: The Experience

Tess: The Experience
6.4/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 28/09/2004
  • Character: Interviewee
A documentary that interviews the cast and crew of Roman Polanski's 1979 film TESS.

Ciao, Federico!

Ciao, Federico!
6.4/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 28/10/1970
  • Character: Self (uncredited)
A behind-the-scenes documentary about the filming of the Federico Fellini film, "Satyricon."

Catherine Deneuve, belle et bien là

Catherine Deneuve, belle et bien là
6.9/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 11/04/2010
  • Character: Self (archive footage)
Catherine Deneuve couldn’t care less about being a celebrity, but fame made her an icon long ago and she occupies a special place in our imagination. The star is not one to let others get too close, but when she gives you her confidence, she keeps her word. If Deneuve’s career covers a half-century of cinema, it also bears witness to the force of a generation that experienced the deepest transformation of mores. This portrait reflects her entirely. The story of a mystery and an adventure.

In The Tracks Of - Alexandre Desplat

In The Tracks Of - Alexandre Desplat
6.9/10
Alexandre Desplat is one of the most famous film music composer of today. Innovative artist with a singular expression, he is the successor of french masters of film music: Georges Delerue, Antoine Duhamel, Maurice Jarre. Writing music for films gather his two passions: music and cinema. Between working sessions, confidences, films and personnal archives, Alexandre Desplat offers, through this documentary, a great record on the creative process and today’s cinema.

Il falso bugiardo

Il falso bugiardo
7.9/10
Based upon Vincenzoni's biography, "Pane e cinema", the documentary traces the story of the screen play writer who invented many stories that became blockbusters throughout the world.

Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir

Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir
7.1/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 27/09/2011
  • Character: Himself
An interview with film director Roman Polanski conducted during his period of house arrest, discussing his life and work.

Polanski, Horowitz. The Wizards from the Ghetto

Polanski, Horowitz. The Wizards from the Ghetto
7/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 20/08/2021
  • Character: Himself
A documentary about the childhood of Roman Polanski and Ryszard Horowitz in Poland.

Polanski, le travail à l'oeuvre

Polanski, le travail à l'oeuvre
6.5/10

Helter Skelter: An American Myth

Helter Skelter: An American Myth
7.4/10
  • Genre: CrimeDocumentary
  • Release: 26/07/2020
  • Character: Himself (archive footage)
The legend of The Manson Family permeates our culture, our media, and our collective fears. Why, after 50 years, do this ragtag group of hippies and their two-night murder spree still fascinate and perplex us? “Helter Skelter” is the most definitive recounting of the Manson Family story ever put on screen, and will challenge everything viewers think they know about this bizarre chapter in US history.

Weekend of a Champion

Weekend of a Champion
7.3/10
An entertaining vérité look at world champion driver Sir Jackie Stewart as Roman Polanski follows his attempt to win the Monaco Grand Prix.

Valley of the Dolls: A World Premiere Voyage

Valley of the Dolls: A World Premiere Voyage
6.2/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 20/12/1967
  • Character: Himself
The maiden cruise of the ocean liner Italia travels from Italy to California for the premiere of the motion picture "Valley of the Dolls."

Once Upon a Time...: Tess

Once Upon a Time...: Tess
6.6/10
Television documentary about the making of Roman Polanski's 1979 film "Tess".

Cracow by Polanski

Cracow by Polanski
Roman Polanski lived in Cracow/Krakow during 1936-1955 - almost 20 years of his life. These years formed him to become one of the most popular film directors of the world. The title of the documentary refers to Roman Polanski's autobiography "Roman by Polanski". By the end of 1930's Cracow/Krakow 250 000 inhabitants, about 50 000 were Jews. It was one of the happiest time in young Roman's life. WWII made him leave the Cracow ghetto and he was hidden by a Polish family near the city. After the war till 1955, it was not only the hard Stalin's time but also the time when young Roman discovered his passion for art, especially the cinema. In these times he played in social realistic plays in Young Spectator Theatre and in puppet plays in Groteska Theatre, Cracow. Finally he left Cracow for Lodz in 1955 to study directing at the Film Academy.

The Making of 'The Pianist'

The Making of 'The Pianist'
8.2/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 07/01/2003
  • Character: Himself
Documentary of the making of Roman Polanski's film of survival in the Warsaw ghetto of WWII.

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