Discovering Christmas Films

Dec 16, 2018

1h 7m

★ 3.0

It doesn't need to be snowing as we sit down by the TV in december.

Overview

Gathering for a Christmas lunch, the film critics and writers of Discovering Film discuss the merits of 20 films from Bill Murray's star turn in Scrooged, the James Stewart classic It's a Wonderful Life, Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander, to Bruce Willis' memorable Die Hard.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

3DD Productions

Discovering Christmas Films Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Self

Ian Nathan

Self

Bonnie Greer

Self

Derek Malcolm

Self

Neil Norman

Self

Stephen Armstrong

Self - Narrator (voice)

Ryan Mandrake

Born in Berlin in 1896, Lotte Eisner became famous for her passionate involvement in the world of both German and French cinema. In 1936, together with Henri Langlois, she founded the Cinémathèque Française with the goal of saving from destruction films, costumes, sets, posters, and other treasures of the 7th Art. A Jew exiled in Paris, she became a pillar of the capital's cultural scene, where she promoted German cinema.

0.0

Inside Lidl at Christmas

Dec 17, 2020

Does the supermarket offer the cheapest Christmas cheer? The Wynne family put the store through its paces, to find out whether it offers the cheapest turkey and trimmings.

0.0

Inside Aldi at Christmas

Dec 11, 2019

Learn how the budget supermarket conquered Christmas in Britain and what random delights are on offer in the famous and festive middle aisle, as one family sees how many gifts they can get for £100.

0.0

Cinemas de Verdade

Nov 9, 2024

No overview available.

0.0

Sacred Music: A Christmas History

Dec 24, 2010

Simon Russell Beale takes a journey through Italy, Britain, Germany and Austria as he explores how the sound of Christmas has evolved in response to changing ideas about the Nativity. His story takes us through two millennia of music, from a fragment of papyrus preserving the earliest known piece of Christian music to the stories behind Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night and In the Bleak Midwinter, and the work of popular Christmas composer, John Rutter. Music is performed by Harry Christophers and his choir, The Sixteen.

4.3

David Stratton: A Cinematic Life

Mar 9, 2017

A compelling personal journey with David Stratton, as he relates the fascinating development of our cinema history. David guides us from his boyhood cinema experience of Australia in England, where he saw the first images of this strange and exotic landscape via the medium of film, to his migration to Australia as a ‘ten pound pom’ in 1963 and onto his present day reflections on the iconic themes that run through our cinematic legacy. All of this reflects a passionate engagement in a uniquely Australian medium. Parallel and at the heart of the series is the story of an industry whose growing pains David has witnessed over a lifetime. Alongside David, the protagonists of this history are the giants of Australian cinema – both behind the camera and in front of it.

10.0

Dancing the Nutcracker: Inside the Royal Ballet

Dec 25, 2016

This Christmas, step into the magical world of The Nutcracker. For the first time in many years, the Royal Ballet has given full access behind the scenes for a landmark 90-minute documentary as they prepare for this season's yuletide production.

8.0

So This Is Christmas

Nov 17, 2023

Illuminating the challenges often unseen beyond the toys, trees and tinsel, people in a small Irish village reflect on their difficult relationships with Christmas. "So This Is Christmas" is a heartwarming and charming portrait from award-winning director Ken Wardrop, which perfectly exemplies his innate ability to tell the stories of ordinary people, depicting their thoughts, feelings and experiences in an empathetic way. Beautifully rendered in 35mm, the film is authentic and compassionate, and a valuable addition to the Irish documentary canon.

5.9

Heckler

Nov 4, 2007

HECKLER is a comedic feature documentary exploring the increasingly critical world we live in. After starring in a film that was critically bashed, Jamie Kennedy takes on hecklers and critics and ask some interesting questions of people such as George Lucas, Bill Maher, Mike Ditka, Rob Zombie, Howie Mandel and many more. This fast moving, hilarious documentary pulls no punches as you see an uncensored look at just how nasty and mean the fight is between those in the spotlight and those in the dark.

6.7

Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist

Jul 8, 2021

A subtle portrait of Japanese director Satoshi Kon by the specialist of Japanese cinema Pascal-Alex Vincent and a dive into a rich work. With interviews of the greatest Japanese, French and American directors inspired by his work.

0.0

Habito

Dec 8, 2023

Habito tells the story of a poor, fat black man in pursuit of his dream of being a filmmaker, facing academic and personal challenges after his mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. A narrative that intertwines life, family and cinema, exploring the roots of Alagoas and Bahia.

0.0

Alpine Train at Christmas

Dec 22, 2024

Climb aboard the illustrious Bernina Express for a festive ride through spectacular Alpine landscapes, taking in snow-covered peaks, architectural wonders, and majestic glaciers.

10.0

Cine Dunas

Nov 29, 2024

No overview available.

8.0

A Very British Hotel at Christmas

Dec 18, 2024

Cameras go behind the scenes at Brown's, London's oldest luxury hotel, during the Christmas season, as staff face the expectations of delivering a luxury festive stay for guests booking rooms that start at £750 a night. The hotel's elite team hosts a vibrant charity Christmas fayre, creates imaginative festive pastries, and concocts a signature holiday cocktail, all aimed at delivering the Christmas feast of a lifetime.

7.0

The Days Before Christmas

Dec 7, 1958

This short documentary depicts Christmastime in Montreal. The milling crowds, department store Santas, Brink's messengers, kindergarten angels and boisterous nightclubs all combine to make a vivid portrait of the holidays.

0.0

Sleigh Ride

Dec 13, 2024

It’s Christmas in Alaska, but a sparsely populated state means a scarce amount of priests. From Christmas eve to Christmas day, two Dominicans traverse icy roads and harsh winds to celebrate Christmas mass for 3 remote communities in the last frontier.

7.6

Pretty Woman, un conte de fées hollywoodien

Dec 27, 2024

Overknee boots that triggered a fashion wave, a legendary shopping spree to the iconic theme song - the 1990 romantic comedy "Pretty Woman" by Garry Marshall starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere is still the genre's biggest box office hit. The modern fairytale about a rich man who falls in love with a prostitute and rescues her made millions dream and made 22-year-old Julia Roberts famous overnight.

6.0

Christmas at the Four Seasons: Park Lane

Dec 24, 2024

Exclusive access to the Four Seasons Hotel, London, in the run-up to Christmas. Expect festive photoshoots, afternoon teas, Christmas trees and sackfuls of presents.

0.0

Christmas TV We Loved and Lost

Dec 6, 2025

Unwrapping the best Christmas TV of days gone by - from the 1960s through to the early 1990s remembering a time when, with audiences topping 20 million, Christmas TV really was appointment viewing for the entire nation.

0.0

For Every Apricot

Nov 8, 2025

For Every Apricot drifts through the shifting terrain of memory, illustrating a grandmother’s journey in search of a “miracle drug” to cure her father’s illness. What begins as a simple family story, unfurls into a meditation on aging, fragility, and the circinate patterns that shape life. Through live-action interview, 16mm and 8mm archival footage, and a tapestry of handcrafted animation, the film moves between what is remembered, what is imagined, and what time has eroded. As she reflects on her father’s illness alongside her own, For Every Apricot becomes a deeply personal family portrait.

Discovering Christmas Films

Overview

Genres

Production Companies

Discovering Christmas Films Trailers