Natan

"Film decays. Memory fades. Truth is corrupted."

Feb 18 2013 N/A 1h 6m
Biography, Documentary, History

Natan tells the remarkable story of Bernard Natan, a Romanian immigrant who came to Paris in 1905 and was involved almost immediately with French cinema. He took control of the Pathe film group in the late 1920s and went on to produce epic films such as Les Miserables. But Natan has become largely written out of French film history for various different reasons. Little attention is paid to him centres on his alleged career as a pioneer and performer in early gay and BDSM porn? The story is an excellent one, suffice to say that his ethnicity and subsequent rumours plagued Natan almost from the start of his career. His ‘comeuppance’ for his alleged transgressions is at the heart of this devastating documentary.

Plot

Bernard Natan could be described as one of the fathers of French cinema. How did he come to be completely forgotten, especially so in France? How is it that what little attention is paid to him centres on his alleged career as a pioneer and performer in early gay and BDSM porn? Why was Bernard Natan's name erased from the history of cinema, despite the fact that he dominated the French film industry for much of the '20s and '30s? David Cairns and Paul Duane have excavated an extraordinary tale that aims to rewrite the history of European cinema. Rumours have swarmed around his story for decades but this documentary finally brings the truth to light. 'An extraordinary forgotten story - a superb documentary' - The Irish Times.

Written by

David Cairns

Directed by

Paul Duane, David Cairns

Cast

Lenny Borger, Serge Bromberg, Bart Bull

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Ireland, United Kingdom, United States of America, France

Languages

English

Awards

1 nomination

Trailers
Natan - Teaser Trailer
Scores
# of Votes
93
Average Rating
7.3 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA