ARTE Distribution

Setting out to discover sexuality in the world’s 14 major megacities, this sensual and libertine collection provides an entertaining and fascinating journey into sexual practices the world over.

Is sex experienced the same way in all 4 corners of the world? Unlikely! Because the men and women of each city tell of specific identities. There are those that fake it and those that really do make it! There are all sorts of fetishists and their perversions. There are those that change gender, etc. A series that won’t let you down - and won’t leave you feeling indifferent!

They learned how to play tennis in one of America’s most dangerous ghettos... became world n°1 and world n°2 in singles and forged an unparalleled record. As African-American women, who are sculptural and powerful, and embody new codes, the Williams sisters navigated through sexism and racism, became world icons, and changed tennis forever.

A New York summer night. An overheated stadium full of people. The stands are packed, feverish, eyes focused on a face in tears. That of Serena Williams, in the middle of the court, as she bids farewell to the world of tennis after a record-breaking career  In her speech to the crowd, the greatest player of all time, choked with sobs, addressed her 15-month older sister, Venus: "I wouldn't be Serena if it wasn't  for Venus. So, thank you Venus. She's the only reason  that Serena Williams ever existed." From the stands, Venus is looking at her little sister, as she has always done since they started playing.
 
With this sentence, Serena sealed her destiny to that of her older sister. Serena, 40, and Venus, 41, have dominated the world of tennis for many years, breaking all records, building an unparalleled record of success... and breaking the color barrier in the sport and in an America plagued by racism. Born into a poor African-American family, cradled in the culture of the ghetto, and fed on their father's mantras of confidence and nerve, Serena and Venus landed like two UFOs in the muffled world of tennis. The two teenagers would challenge the entire system with the freshness of their youth and an acute awareness of their strength. As both sculptural and powerful Black women, self-confident, displaying codes that were never seen before, they would crystallize the divisions tearing American society apart. But together, they overcame the sexist, classist and racist remarks, the broncas of the public, the mistrust of the other players, the contempt of tournament organizers, the sarcastic and biased comments of journalists. United, they would not only bring women's tennis into the modern world, but would also become global icons.

Since the late 2000s and the start of the “Mad Men” series, a retro wave has swept over Western pop culture. The film recounts this “retro-mania” and what it says about our contemporary society.

From the cinema (an Oscar for “The Artist”, and “Gatsby” with Leonardo Di Caprio presented at Cannes), to television (“The Hours”, “Peaky Blinders” and “Fleming”), via fashion with Dita Von Teese’s version of the fifties’ figure, and the Swing Kids’ look of the 1930s - never before has our present been so imbued with the past. The culture of creation may be taking a look in the rear-view mirror, but young urbanites have taken things a step further by turning retro culture into a veritable way of day-to-day life.
 
In Paris, New York, Berlin and London, this “neo-retro” community adopts not only a quaint appearance, but also the values and codes of the era (the 1920s to the 1960s). Some denounce the stagnation of pop culture over the last couple of decades and see this retro culture as a sign of a certain cultural regression, but many others believe vintage culture enables us to better live in the present.
 
 

Apple, the brand that symbolises counter-culture, has become a giant that dictates cultural norms and trends. At the root of their success story lies the genius marketing ploy of making mainstream power look tacky by declaring themselves counter to it, thereby conquering consumers with their cool.

The death of Steve Jobs, on October 5th, provided a dramatic illustration of the paradox of Apple, which is at the heart of this film. It is the first time in history that an entrepreneur has been applauded and mourned as a benefactor of mankind, and their commercial success lauded as a work of genius.
This fascinating ability to combine a "rebel-brand" image with huge commercial profits will be the object of this documentary investigation, which examines both the universe of Mac and modern man and his ambiguities.
Tracing the history of the brand, from the beginnings of the small computer company to today's multinational, the film shows how Apple has taken a giant bite out of the market, thanks to its aesthetic choices, emotional marketing and indisputable technological ingenuity.

Everyone is familiar with cheerleaders, the infamous "pom-pom girls". This journey takes us to the heart of the cheerleader myth, providing an insight into all aspects of America.

Scenes from American films and television series invariably come flooding back at the mere mention of the word cheerleaders, with young, attractive, smiling girls, in brightly coloured costumes jigging around on the side of the field, shouting support for their team. Cheerleaders are the incarnation of the America of tranquil high schools and suburbs. They are an object of fantasy par excellence, a jubilant youth that can be interpreted and reclaimed in endless ways.

A new generation - the geek generation - has taken over. It is now fashionable to be a geek and for everyone to claim to be one. In saga form, this documentary follows the irresistible rise of a generation and the cultural tsunami it has spearheaded.

First appearing in the 70s, geeks had a shared passion for computers, science fiction and comic books, and developed their own culture opposed to the norm. Right from the start, geek culture established its own key dates, codes, special places and cult figures. The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Steve Jobs, Pac-Man and Mario Bros were all vital references.
Things had changed by the 2000s. Now the first-generation geeks were thirty or forty and had become a vital creative and economic power. Their values reflected those promoted by modern society, and popular imagination - especially in films - turned the geek into a central character.

So the geek explosion is important to everyone. It is the symptom and representation of a new rapport with technology, a new way of communicating. It reflects a swing from traditional culture to pure entertainment culture.

The journey of the jean : a road-movie which leads it from its beginnings as workmen's clothing to a life as a political symbol and, in our days, an icon ruling a global empire. 

The documentary looks at the blue-jean phenomenon from a wacky new angle, observing its impact on our lives and civilization. In 2000, a vintage 1880 Levi's jeans is discovered in an abandoned mine. Auctioned on eBay, the pants, which originally sold for 99 cents, reached a price of $46,532! This amazing story sums up the whole blue jeans phenomenon in a nutshell: a legendary garment, mass-produced, which witnessed the Industrial Revolution and clad cowboys on the western frontier, is now a fashion statement worldwide, for men and women, young and old: an icon of modernity which has lasted for 150 years. With flying colors, the jeans have sailed through early marketing, the Internet, the world of collectors, the end of the Cold War, and now globalization. Their eternal popularity begs a question: Why?

Originally, shaking hands was a mark of trust. People held out an open hand to show they were not holding a weapon. Today, everybody is doind the "fist bump".

This documentary reveals how a gesture of emancipation has become an urban ritual. How and why a banal gesture created by 17th century black slaves - which subsequently became a symbol of black ghettos, rap and US sport - end up becoming a part of Barack's Obama's inauguration ceremony at the White House?

From its beginnings on the streets of New York City, breaking has experienced a meteoric rise to fame, establishing itself as the style of street dance for young people around the world.

40 years after it first appeared in the Bronx block-party scene, this is the epic story of breaking, as told by its biggest stars - between inner-city violence and reconciliation, mind-blowing acrobatics and artistic expression - from New York City to Seoul, Berlin and Paris.
 
With MR. FREEZE, DOZE GREEN Rock Steady Crew, CRAZY LEGS Rock Steady Crew, BENJI Division Alpha, JUNIOR Wanted Posse, MOUNIR Vagabond Crew, STORM Battle Squad, and HONG 10 Drifterz.

From the anonymous models of the 40’s to the supermodels, super-famous and ultra-connected, of our modern era, how the social status of models has dramatically changed and how iconic models have shaped an important part of our pop culture ?

The docs provides a clever and audacious insight on how the evolution of models’ body reflects the way our society changes and the way the women’s emancipation is represented. It is also a history of 50 years in fashion seen as through the body of those women who wore it best.
 
Packed with exclusive interviews and amazing archive footage, this is a celebration of fashion, glamour and empowerment.

This documentary plunges viewers into the day-to-day lives of influential female bloggers and models, and decodes the phenomenon of 2.0 fashion, via interviews with web and fashion experts.

Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr, Vine, Twitter … there is no end to the number of social networks on which the “It-Girls” can publish a profusion of photos and comments about their day-to-day lives. These practices have become truly democratised, and represent an “open-book personal diary”, in which every publication posted expresses an uninhibited narcissism. How does one become an Instagram or Tumblr star?
 
The success of the likes of Rihanna on these social networks surprises nobody, but how do totally unknown young people manage to become real stars on these networks?

What is haute couture today ? This film updates the definition of this luxury craft by examining trends among young designers who have reached, or hope to reach, the precious haute couture label. 

The documentary highlights 2 young designers: Delphine Manivet and Iris van Herpen, who freely blend tradition and modernity in their creations, thus breaking the codes of haute couture.
 
One of them launched her own brand of wedding dresses in 2005, and is representative of the young designers who have reinvented the genre by playing down the wedding dress with modern designs that are closer to ready-to-wear; while the other has been revisiting haute couture since 2007, with her avant-gardist and conceptual designs, and juggling with innovative materials such as Plexiglas and Rhodoid.