literature history
47 movies and shows
Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power
Thu, 07 Nov 2019
The views and thoughts of Canadian writer Margaret Atwood have never been more relevant than today. Readers turn to her work for answers as they confront the rise of authoritarian leaders, deal with increasingly intrusive technologies, and discuss climate change. Her books are useful as survival tools for hard times. But few know her private life. Who is the woman behind the stories? How does she always seem to know what is coming?
The Capote Tapes
Fri, 10 Sep 2021
A portrait of the brilliant American writer Truman Capote (1924-84) and the New York high society of his time.
Killer, Trader and Psychopath: The America of Bret Easton Ellis
Wed, 15 Sep 2021
In 1991, American Psycho, the third novel by controversial writer Bret Easton Ellis, provoked heated discussions among critics and readers alike; an extraordinarily disturbing book that transported its readers into the mind of Patrick Bateman, a cynical mergers and acquisitions executive obsessed with brands, inconsequential details, pop culture and brutal murder.
The Strange Life of Dr. Frankenstein
Mon, 22 Oct 2018
In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, a powerful and timelessness novel which eternal theme is nothing other than man's quest for the secret of life. Since then, the Creature became a pop culture icon, overshadowing the novel and Doctor Frankenstein himself.
Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin
Mon, 11 Jun 2018
The extraordinary life story of science fiction and fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) who, in spite of remaining for many years on the sidelines of the mainstream literature, managed to be recognized as one of the most remarkable US writers of all time, due to the relevance of her work and her commitment to the human condition.
Dorian Gray: A Portrait of Oscar Wilde
Sun, 24 Mar 2019
The Picture of Dorian Gray, the seminal work of Irish writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), continues to find new readers and inspire artists and creators around the world more than a century after its publication in 1891, because it was endowed with all the elements necessary to make it an undisputed heritage of world literature.
Anjelica Huston on James Joyce: A Shout in the Street
Wed, 13 Dec 2017
An account of the life and work of Irish writer James Joyce (1882-1941) narrated by US actress Anjelica Huston.
Tolkien: The True Story of the Rings
Fri, 13 Sep 2024
An analysis of the sources of inspiration that fed the imagination of the British writer, poet and philologist J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973), great master of epic fantasy.
Arthur Miller: A Man of His Century
Sat, 17 Oct 2015
An unparalleled portrait of Arthur Miller (1915-2005), a major writer who left an indelible mark on the world. Miller's life is intimately connected with the great themes that marked the 20th century. Glamour, fame, social criticism and Marilyn Monroe.
Who's Afraid of Lady Chatterley?
Wed, 18 Mar 2020
England, 1960. The Crown sues the publisher Penguin Books in order to ban the publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover, a novel by the British writer D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930), published privately in Italy in 1928, which celebrates nature and deals with sex without taboos.
Hamlet Within
Sat, 21 May 2022
A radical cinematic investigation into the myth of Hamlet, the avenging prince of Denmark, William Shakespeare's creature; his origins and his unending influence on many diverse cultures.
Sylvia Plath: Inside The Bell Jar
Sat, 11 Aug 2018
The story of the making of The Bell Jar, the unique, semi-autobiographical novel written by American writer Sylvia Plath (1932-63), published in February 1963, shortly before her death.
The Art of Joy by Goliarda Sapienza: Writing for Emancipation
Sat, 21 Oct 2023
Between 1967 and 1976, Italian writer Goliarda Sapienza (1924-76) wrote The Art of Joy, a subversive novel about the dazzling social ascent of a rebellious heroine; too scandalous to be published at that contradictory time.
Though You May Not Know
Sat, 23 Apr 2016
An account of the life and work of the Spanish poet Luis García Montero; a journey through his experiences, his mentors, his influences and his contact with other artists, both from the literary world and from other disciplines.
The Emma Bovary Trial
Wed, 15 Sep 2021
On January 31, 1857, the French writer Gustave Flaubert (1821-80) took his place in the dock for contempt of public morality and religion. The accused, the real one, is, through him, Emma Bovary, heroine with a thousand faces and a thousand desires, guilty without doubt of an unforgivable desire to live.
Stephen King: A Necessary Evil
Fri, 16 Oct 2020
The American writer Stephen King has been one of the world's best-selling authors for decades. How can the overwhelming success of his numerous works be explained? Perhaps by the boundless inventiveness of his literature? And what else is behind the longevity of his astonishing career?
El Quijote desde la platea
Mon, 22 Apr 2019
How Don Quixote de la Mancha, the immortal character created by Miguel de Cervantes in 1605, has been depicted in cinema, television, cartoons, theater, opera, ballet and other artistic disciplines. An adventure that began more than four hundred years ago in the pages of a book and is far from coming to an end.
Henry Miller: Prophet of Desire
Wed, 25 Jan 2017
The US writer Henry Miller (1891-1980), scandalous and nonconformist creator, hated by the most recalcitrant puritans, was a vilified genius, considered a threat, accused of being a sexist, of consciously pursuing the destruction of every civic principle; but he was also someone venerated as a saint, as a sex guru; and today as one of the most important characters of the twentieth century.
Milan Kundera: From the Joke to Insignificance
Thu, 21 Oct 2021
The brilliant Czech writer Milan Kundera has not given an interview in thirty years; nor does he appear in public. How did he become a legendary author? What is so unique about his books?
Fantômas: A Thoroughly Modern Villain
Fri, 21 Jan 2022
The story of Fantômas, the first villain of modernity, from his birth in 1911 as a novel character to his contemporary vicissitudes, passing through Louis Feuillade, André Hunebelle, surrealism and Moscow.