Natan

Why was Bernard Natan’s name erased from the history of cinema, despite dominating the French film industry throughout the 1920s and 1930s? How is it that what little attention is paid to him centres on his alleged career in early pornography? David Cairns and Paul Duane have excavated an extraordinary tale that aims to rewrite the history of European cinema and give Natan his rightful place therein. The man who brought sound cinema to France and Cinemascope to the screen before the word existed came to an end so tragically that it seems scarcely believable. Rumours and lies have swarmed around his story for decades; this documentary finally brings the truth to light.