Perry Miller Adato Movies

Between 1905 and 1930, the cultural movement known as 'Modernism' hit western society, radically altering modes of expression in such areas as literature, film, dance, music, theater and painting. Paris, France served as the epicenter of this revolution, with now-iconic figures including Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Marcel Duchamp and others at the helm. The story of modernism has been told well and often, but this documentary (originally produced for and screened on public television) undertakes an unusual approach by making the City of Lights the active protagonist of the story - the catalyst for all of the changes that impacted European and American arts during the said 25-year span. It also examines how the city of Paris itself shaped and honed the artists' perceptions, and how the changes manifested themselves in the works that those individuals created. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Four treasured tales from India, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan are eloquently told through art masterpieces and inspiring performance from these ancient cultures. The video's skillful fusion of literature, visual arts, and performing arts is both inspiring and entertaining. The beloved Asian stories come alive through Indian paintings, Indonesian sculpture, Japanese shadow play, Korean masked drama, and Japanese scroll painting. Filmed on-location, Great Tales of Asian Art offers an imaginative and compelling introduction to the exotic world of Eastern art. ~ Sally Barber, Rovi

Many works, especially in the folk arts, are frequently attributed to a mysterious "Anonymous." Collectors and other patrons are usually content with the knowledge that the creator's identity was simply lost to time. Portrait of an Artist: Anonymous Was a Woman (part of the The Originals: Women in Art series) contends that the originator of the pieces was most often a woman, and a skilled and highly creative one at that. This program shows that though never singled out for fame or lauded for the endeavors, these silent women nevertheless achieved remarkable designs and imminently useful items for use in and around the home. ~ Alice Day, Rovi

Each episode of Portrait of an Artist offers an in-depth exploration into the life and work of an important visual artist. Through the careful consideration of the works themselves, to the influences that played upon their creator's lives, each program in the series attempts to offer a portrait of the artist in context. This episode examines the life and work of Georgia O'Keeffe. Particular attention is paid to how O'Keeffe managed to make her brand of abstraction so emphatically American. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi

Produced and directed by Perry Miller Adato in 1970, this documentary profiles the influential expatriate American writer Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), who lived openly gay at a time when it wasn't socially acceptable. The program focuses on the years 1905 through the 1930s, when Stein's circle of friends and disciples included the toast of the Paris art and literary scene. Highlights include still photographs, home movies of Stein with her life partner Alice B. Toklas, newsreel footage, an archival radio interview with Stein, footage of the author's art collection (she was one of the early collectors of cubism), and interviews with people who knew her. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi