Two seemingly opposite worlds—the unflinching reality of photojournalism and the staging power of cinema—meet in the shadows of film sets. Where fiction is created, Magnum photographers capture real moments: between takes, in glances, gestures, and flashes of light, far away from the official camera. For over 70 years, these two forms of imagery have stood in opposition to each other – and yet they interweave in a fascinating way. CINEMA THROUGH THE EYE OF MAGNUM shows how icons of photography such as Robert Capa, Eve Arnold, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Josef Koudelka, and Dennis Stock not only documented world history, but also shaped Hollywood and European auteur cinema. Their photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles, Truffaut, and Sean Penn reveal intimate moments on set—unposed, honest, and touching. In this detailed documentary, director Sophie Bassaler combines interviews, archive footage, and original photos to create a narrative about closeness, power, and myth. The film was released in 2017 and has been shown at international documentary film festivals. Harry Allouche's music underscores the quiet melancholy and dignity of the images, which are not mere snapshots but time capsules of cinematic memory.
Documentary
53min
16
FR
IT
DE
PT
ES
This film tells the story those photojournalists and the world of cinema. Of two seemingly opposite worlds – fiction and reality.
Two seemingly opposite worlds—the unflinching reality of photojournalism and the staging power of cinema—meet in the shadows of film sets. Where fiction is created, Magnum photographers capture real moments: between takes, in glances, gestures, and flashes of light, far away from the official camera. For over 70 years, these two forms of imagery have stood in opposition to each other – and yet they interweave in a fascinating way.
CINEMA THROUGH THE EYE OF MAGNUM shows how icons of photography such as Robert Capa, Eve Arnold, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Josef Koudelka, and Dennis Stock not only documented world history, but also shaped Hollywood and European auteur cinema. Their photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles, Truffaut, and Sean Penn reveal intimate moments on set—unposed, honest, and touching. In this detailed documentary, director Sophie Bassaler combines interviews, archive footage, and original photos to create a narrative about closeness, power, and myth.
The film was released in 2017 and has been shown at international documentary film festivals. Harry Allouche's music underscores the quiet melancholy and dignity of the images, which are not mere snapshots but time capsules of cinematic memory.