Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando is best known for his successful films and two Oscars. But his link with French Polynesia, where the actor lived for nearly thirty years, remains largely unexplored. For Brando, a complex and tortured character, known for being unmanageable on film sets and even sometimes obnoxious, escaped throughout his life to a small hidden island at the end of the world. By settling in Tahiti, Brando thought he could rid himself of his anguish and turpitude. But Polynesia, with its paradise-like landscapes, gentle way of life and distinctive culture, was in reality nothing more than a mirage of an idealised, peaceful existence that the star never managed to achieve.

In August 1969, Charles Manson's followers killed seven people on his orders. Why? Explore a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments, and murder.

Martin Scorsese is the unchallenged master of the cinematic quest for Italian-American identity. He has etched the cinematic image of the Sicilian mafiosi and the reality of America with incredible actors like DiCaprio and De Niro.

In 1966, Marlon Brando (1924-2004), one of the greatest actors of all time, bought Tetiaroa Atoll, located in French Polynesia, with the purpose of creating a natural sanctuary dedicated to scientific research.

Flashing images of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando taken from A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Victor Fleming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of David Lynch’s most enduring obsessions. This documentary goes over the rainbow to explore this Technicolor through-line in Lynch’s work.

Between One Eyed Jacks (1961) and The Godfather (1972), Marlon Brando appeared in twelve feature films. The actor called this period his "F*** You Years" and it was during this time that his on-set behavior hit erratic and unpredictable new heights. The qualities of the roles and the films themselves vary, but this video essay examines the historical and aesthetic profiles of this cinematic so-called "dirty dozen." Were these projects really beneath him? And what led him to this decade of perceived ignominy?

Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become one of a select group who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Over a seventy year career, she has paved the way for Hispanic-American performers by refusing to be pigeonholed into one-dimensional stereotypes.

He is the only actor in the history of cinema to have won three Oscars. Known for the dramatic intensity of his roles – which are as striking as they are diverse (aristocrat, petty thug, outcast or criminal) – for directors such as Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg.

As a teenager in the '90s, Soleil Moon Frye carried a video camera everywhere she went. She documented hundreds of hours of footage and then locked it away for over 20 years.