Sophie Fiennes Movies

Anselm Kiefer is a German artist who began earning an international reputation for his paintings, which combined photographic realism with impressionistic abstraction and used the juxtaposition of images to form an unapologetic commentary on Germany's history and failings. In 1993, Kiefer relocated from Germany to France, and in 2000 he bought an abandoned silk processing plant; there, Kiefer set up new facilities to create massive installations that employed both large-scale paintings, huge sculptures, objects found at refuse sites, and materials such as dirt and ash to create complex artificial environments. Filmmaker Sophie Fiennes allows Kiefer and his work to speak for themselves in the documentary Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow, in which Kiefer talks about his life and work while Fiennes and her crew follow as the artist creates one of his installations, big enough that a team of assistants with heavy equipment must assemble the pieces under his direction. Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow was an official selection at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Renowned pop philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Zizek takes a closer look at the sexual history of films spanning the spectrum from Charlie Chaplain to David Lynch in filmmaker Sophie Fiennes' indulgent look at some of the silver screen's most sublime features. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Born to a middle-class family in suburban Australia, Leigh Bowery moved to London, England, in the early '80s with a desire to re-invent himself. Always fascinated with fashion and the expressive possibilities of clothing, Bowery quickly became a noted figure in London's image-obsessed "New Romantic" scene, where (as Marcus Bracewell put it) "getting ready [to go out] became an art form." While Bowery's elaborate creations were striking, Bowery designed clothing as an art form rather than as salable fashion items -- creating costumes for theater pieces, performance art pieces, or his own appearances at clubs, Bowery used clothing to confront, confuse and challenge those around him, rather than to simply adorn the body. Bowery later expanded on his philosophy and approach with his own nightclub, Taboo, and a musical group, Minty. Bowery died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1994, but this documentary -- which features interviews with his friends, family and colleagues, including Boy George, who has since staged a musical based in part on Bowery's life -- examines his life and times, as well as the lasting impact of his work. The Legend of Leigh Bowery received its world premiere in the spring of 2002 at the It's All True Documentary Film Festival on Sao Paulo, Brazil. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi