The Story of Film: A New Generation

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The Story of Film: A New Generation

Released Sep 9, 2022

2h 47m

Documentary

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93%

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30 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

A decade after The Story of Film: An Odyssey, an expansive and influential inquiry into the state of moviemaking in the 20th century, filmmaker Mark Cousins returns with an epic and hopeful tale of cinematic innovation from around the globe. In The Story of Film: A New Generation, Cousins turns his sharp, meticulously honed gaze on world cinema from 2010 to 2021, using a surprising range of works -- including Joker, Frozen and Cemetery of Splendour -- as launchpads to explore recurring themes and emerging motifs, from the evolution of film language, to technology's role in moviemaking today, to shifting identities in 21st-century world cinema. Touching on everything from Parasite and The Farewell to Black Panther and Lover's Rock, Cousins seeks out films, filmmakers and communities under-represented in traditional film histories, with a particular emphasis on Asian and Middle Eastern works, as well as boundary-pushing documentaries and films that see gender in new ways. And as the recent pandemic recedes, Cousins ponders what comes next in the streaming age: how have we changed as cinephiles, and how moviegoing will continue to transform in the digital century, to our collective joy and wonder.

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Critics Consensus

With little hindsight but plenty of insight, The Story of Film: A New Generation surveys an era of moviemaking in engaging fashion.

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

As much as I admire anyone who can put this kind of time and energy into this anthology of clips, I do have a problem with his basic thesis... I don't think he really accounts for the crisis going on in film right now.

Sep 19, 2022

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Mark Feeney

Boston Globe

Watching “Story,” one realizes that so much of what most of us most love about the movies isn’t the medium, per se, but its appurtenances: stardom and glamour and the pull of narrative.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 9, 2022

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Ben Kenigsberg

New York Times

Cousins’s assessments offer plenty to argue with, but it’s possible to enjoy “A New Generation” without agreeing...

Sep 8, 2022

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Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

Despite a few quibbles, "A New Generation" is pretty damn good.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 30, 2023

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Morgan Rojas

Cinemacy

Forget film school, this epic tale of innovation is a masterclass in moviemaking.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 28, 2023

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Sometimes [the structure] means jumping in time or location, but each leap from genre, from country, from time, leads to a greater understanding of cinema as a whole.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 20, 2022

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dave d

A continuation of 'The Story of Film' series and much like you'd expect it is dense and informative. There are times you connect with one particular film being chronicled and that will sustain your attention through a film you may not have seen. At well over two hours there may be times even film lovers stray, but it won't be disappointing. The breakdown by Mark Cousins is genius, but his Northern Irish voice, for whatever reason, grates. Final Score: 8/10

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Mark Cousins

Director

Mark Cousins

Narrator

John Archer

Producer

Clara Glynn

Executive Producer

Timo Langer

Film Editor

Mark Cousins

Screenwriter

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The Story of Film: A New Generation: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A decade after The Story of Film: An Odyssey, an expansive and influential inquiry into the state of moviemaking in the 20th century, filmmaker Mark Cousins returns with an epic and hopeful tale of cinematic innovation from around the globe. In The Story of Film: A New Generation, Cousins turns his sharp, meticulously honed gaze on world cinema from 2010 to 2021, using a surprising range of works -- including Joker, Frozen and Cemetery of Splendour -- as launchpads to explore recurring themes and emerging motifs, from the evolution of film language, to technology's role in moviemaking today, to shifting identities in 21st-century world cinema. Touching on everything from Parasite and The Farewell to Black Panther and Lover's Rock, Cousins seeks out films, filmmakers and communities under-represented in traditional film histories, with a particular emphasis on Asian and Middle Eastern works, as well as boundary-pushing documentaries and films that see gender in new ways. And as the recent pandemic recedes, Cousins ponders what comes next in the streaming age: how have we changed as cinephiles, and how moviegoing will continue to transform in the digital century, to our collective joy and wonder.

Director: Mark Cousins
Producer: John Archer, Mark Cousins
Screenwriter: Mark Cousins
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Hopscotch Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 2022, Limited
Runtime: 2h 47m

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