AllMovie

Between 1905 and 1930, the cultural movement known as 'Modernism' hit western society, radically altering modes of expression in such areas as literature, film, dance, music, theater and painting. Paris, France served as the epicenter of this revolution, with now-iconic figures including Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Marcel Duchamp and others at the helm. The story of modernism has been told well and often, but this documentary (originally produced for and screened on public television) undertakes an unusual approach by making the City of Lights the active protagonist of the story - the catalyst for all of the changes that impacted European and American arts during the said 25-year span. It also examines how the city of Paris itself shaped and honed the artists' perceptions, and how the changes manifested themselves in the works that those individuals created.