The Louvre

Winner of fourteen national and international awards, this 1978 documentary from filmmaker Lucy Jarvis has the distinction of being the first film ever made inside the Louvre. The program opens with a recent interview of Jarvis by Edwin Newman, during which she discusses how the film came to be made. Hosted by actor Charles Boyer, The Louvre is more than just a catalogue of the world's greatest art. The entire history of the museum is brought to life with the aid of models, and a witty script. During the Nazi invasion, for example, the Germans descended upon the Louvre to find it -- empty. In one of the greatest secret excavations in contemporary history, all of the treasures were removed and hid all over the countryside. Following the "sweep", when the security guards empty the building at 5 p.m., the filmmakers return at night to walk the halls and gaze alone, far from the madding crowd, upon a handful of the 300,000 works of art housed in the Louvre. An excellent documentary. Highly recommended for all school and public libraries. (Available from most distributors.)