Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime

Jun 14, 2017

0h 59m

★ 6.0

Overview

Celebrating Billy Connolly's 75th birthday and 50 years in the business, three Scottish artists - John Byrne, Jack Vettriano and Rachel MacLean - each create a new portrait of the Big Yin. As he sits with each artist, Billy talks about his remarkable life and career which has taken him from musician and pioneering stand-up to Hollywood star and national treasure.

Genres

Documentary

TV Movie

Production Companies

BBC

Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime Trailers

Cast

Himself

Billy Connolly

Himself

John Byrne

Himself

Jack Vettriano

Herself

Rachel Maclean

With his soaring falsetto and magnetic yet understated stage presence, Jimmy Somerville burst onto the 1980s new wave scene, making the world dance to songs rooted in struggle and resilience. From the harsh realities of Glasgow’s working-class neighborhoods to the challenges of growing up gay in a hostile world, and the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis, Somerville transformed pain into anthems of freedom. First with Bronski Beat, then The Communards, and later as a solo artist, he became both rebel and diva—the unmistakable voice of a generation fighting for equality. Through intimate stories from those who have stood by him for four decades, this portrait reveals a rare artist who has never wavered in his convictions.

0.0

Tom Hanks, un héros ordinaire

May 31, 2026

No overview available.

0.0

Girl Friday

Dec 28, 1994

Glamorous actress Joanna Lumley undergoes a week's hardship on an isolated island off the coast of Madagascar. She is given a brief lesson in survival by the Royal Marines and is then deposited on the island with few provisions but a large BBC crew for company. With comic results Ms Lumley attempts to build a shelter and forage for food before succumbing to the offers of goodies from the camera crew.

0.0

Jim Dine

Feb 27, 1966

Jim Dine at work and at home. Includes footage of Dine discussing his life, his artistic development, and what is called "ugly" in his work. Examines a number of Dine's works from different periods, including his tie paintings, tool paintings, palettes, collages, and "happenings," and considers Dine's concern with objects in his work.

6.6

DC 9/11: Time of Crisis

Sep 7, 2003

This is the story of the days directly after 9/11, and the president's whereabouts. Scheduled to air shortly before the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks, DC 9/11 takes an inside look at the Bush Administration, beginning with the day of the attacks, and following the President's journey to Ground Zero, culminating with his now famous national address nine days after the attacks.

6.6

Dentro Caravaggio

May 27, 2019

No overview available.

0.0

Simply Johanne

Sep 10, 2024

Abandoned on the doorstep of a Montreal orphanage, Johanne Harrelle eventually rose to prominence as a gifted artist, actress, and one of North America's first Black models. Simply Johanne deftly explores her complex and audacious life through archival footage, interviews with loved ones and performances of her writings by three contemporary actresses. The film chronicles the journey of a magnetic and passionate woman who defied the expectations of her time.

10.0

The Artist

Nov 6, 2025

No overview available.

0.0

É Arte, São Elas

Dec 19, 2025

No overview available.

5.8

Fuzzbucket

May 18, 1986

In the vein of "Harvey", an invisible creature befriends a 12 year old boy. Of course, no one else can see him nor believes in him.

No Image

0.0

Once Upon a Time in Sarajevo

Dec 11, 2014

Can three comedians from Bosnia overcome the bitterness of the past to reunite and reconcile? Often compared to Monty Python's Flying Circus the comedy team from Sarajevo known as Top Lista Nadrealista or The Surrealist Hit Parade rose to prominence on the eve of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Nele, Zenit and Djuro became household names throughout the Balkans. The wars that followed the splintering of the country pitted each of the diverse communities against one another. The bitter conflict exposed some nationalist loyalties among the comedians and lead to the acrimonious break-up of Top Lista. The split reflecting the broader tribulations dividing their homeland.

0.0

Chillida: esku huts

Oct 27, 2017

The documentary helps us rediscover the life and figure of the Basque sculptor through testimonies from those closest to him: his children, friends, and family. From a biographical point of view, the documentary takes as its starting point the sculptor's adolescence, a time when his life was transformed by a sports injury that forced him to change course. From a poetic perspective, Juan Barrero tells us how Chillida came to achieve the full meaning of life and how we can still appreciate this in his work, a consistency that began in his early days with iron metallurgy and ended with international recognition.

0.0

Palin on Redpath

Dec 15, 1997

Michael Palin travels to France in search of the Mediterranean view on his wall, captured by his favourite artist, Scottish painter Anne Redpath. He travels from a London bank, via a chateau in Cap Ferrat and a monastery in Edinburgh.

No Image

9.0

The Dream

Jan 1, 1989

Starring Jeremy Irons in a one-man drama, adapted from a Dostoevsky short story by Murray Watts. In his dream, the Man visits an unspoilt Garden of Eden.

0.0

Tina, Photographer And Revolutionary

Invalid Date

Tina, Photographer and Revolutionary is a documentary that blends animation and live action to chronicle the life of Tina Modotti, a pioneering photographer and committed activist. The film delves into her artistic journey and political passions, revealing a woman whose legacy continues to inspire.

0.0

dear caricaturist,

Jun 6, 2026

The hundreds of letters left behind after Latif Demirci's passing describe not only a illustrator's fanbase, but the troubles and dreams of a certain era in Turkey, and a human spirit naive enough to confide in a cartoon hero. While the documentary traces the loss between the slowness of the letter and today's culture of speed, it puts forth a very original portrait of the artist, highlighted by the contributions of his filmmaker daughter Yasemin Demirci, his artistic partner Behiç Pek, and comic book historian Levent Cantek.

6.0

Flower Power - Dutch Women Painters of the 17th Century

Jun 7, 2026

In the 17th century, advances in the natural sciences and the invention of the telescope led Dutch women painters to closely study nature and include reptiles and insects in their art. Women such as Maria Sibylla Merian, Alida Withoos and Maria Moninckx advanced botany and zoology with their highly detailed paintings. Almost forgotten, now their works hang in many important museums around the world.

No Image

0.0

Masks

Jul 2, 2016

It is difficult to characterize Slobodan Tišma. He is unique and versatile. He wanders with joy throughout the artistic landscape, drawing it with his words since the early sixties. He started as a poet, he was a conceptualist, an "invisible artist" and a rock musician ("Luna"/"La Strada"- former Yugoslav New Wave bands). Currently, he is a prose writer, and sometimes he engages in minimalistic performances. Wearing different masks he moved from one artistic space to another breaking the stereotypes and creating an aesthetic phenomenon out of his own existence. His mainstay is margin. Through trees and ocean he communicates with the universe. He loves the game of seeking, and hiding again. He is a persistent walker. With his silent steps he pops up daily in the corners of Novi Sad, searching for his own pleasure. Similar to his writings, this film has no formal completeness and comprehensiveness. It wonders who Slobodan Tišma is.

Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime

Overview

Genres

Production Companies

Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime Trailers