EXCLUSIVE: The Provence Arts Festival du Film is readying for its second edition, focused this year on “a celebration of music and musical artists through documentary cinema.”
To that end, the event (renamed from the Dora Maar Film Festival) is programming EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, director Baz Luhrmann’s documentary on the King of Rock n’ Roll, which features “newly restored performances and rare audio recordings of Elvis Presley reflecting on his life and career.”
Cannes chief Thierry Frémaux personally selected EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert for the Provence program.
Elvis will be joined on the festival bill by a former Beatle. One to One: John & Yoko, directed by Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald, also headlines the program announced on Tuesday. Provence Arts Festival du Film will run from July 29 to August 1 in the lovely hilltop village of Ménerbes, located in the heart of Provence’s Luberon region.
Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, The Mauritanian, One Day in September) and One to One cinematographer David Katznelson will be in attendance in Ménerbes.
“A film festival dedicated to music documentaries in the heart of Provence—what’s not to love?” Macdonald said in a statement. “I’m delighted that One to One: John & Yoko will be screening alongside such a strong and varied program, and I am looking forward to discussing the film with audiences in Ménerbes.”
Macdonald will also take part in a panel discussion titled “Beyond Biography: Who Gets to Tell an Artist’s Story?” along with fellow panelists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, directors of Broken English. Sophie Rosemont and Mark Kermode will moderate that discussion.
Provence Arts Festival du Film will feature a documentary by a woman synonymous with French cinema (though she hailed from Belgium), the late Agnès Varda. Jane B. par Agnès V., the filmmaker’s 1988 feature about musician Jane Birkin, will open the festival on Wednesday, July 29.
Rosalie Varda, daughter of Agnès, commented, “I am very happy that Jane B. by Agnès V. is opening the Provence Arts Film Festival. This film perfectly embodies the playful and inventive spirit of my mother, Agnès Varda, as well as the artistic complicity that united her with the divine Jane Birkin. It naturally finds its place in this edition and shows us the many ways documentary cinema can share the lives and imaginations of two incredibly creative women whose artistic partnership and friendship were exceptional.”
Festival director and curator Lucy Darwin, producer of Lost in La Mancha and Match Point, founded the Provence Arts Festival du Film. The inaugural event in 2025 explored the medium of photography through documentary film.
Speaking of this year’s focus, Darwin observed, “Music offers an extraordinarily rich field for documentary storytelling, revealing not only the creative process but also the cultures, communities and personal journeys that shape artistic expression. This year’s program brings together an exceptional range of films, from acclaimed classics to recent discoveries, spanning genres, generations and musical traditions. Alongside some long-standing personal favorites, I am particularly delighted that we will be welcoming such an outstanding group of filmmakers and guests to Ménerbes, creating opportunities for audiences to engage directly with the stories behind the films.”
This is the full lineup of films and panels announced Tuesday:
• Jane B. par Agnès V. (1988) — dir. Agnès Varda
The celebrated collaboration between Agnès Varda and Jane Birkin, blurring the boundaries between portrait, fiction and documentary, will be the Opening Film, introduced by Sophie Rosemont. Rosalie Varda, producer and daughter of Agnès Varda, on hand.
The Festival is honored that Thierry Frémaux has selected Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2026) for presentation at this year’s Festival.
• EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2026) — dir. Baz Luhrmann
A remarkable restoration project built from previously unseen footage discovered in the Warner Bros. archives, featuring newly restored performances and rare audio recordings of Elvis Presley reflecting on his life and career.
• Broken English (2026) — dirs. Jane Pollard & Iain Forsyth [in attendance]
The documentary offers an intimate portrait of music icon Marianne Faithfull, tracing her remarkable six-decade career through music, fame, reinvention and artistic resilience.
• Pianomania (2009) — dir. Robert Cibis [in attendance]
An entertaining and revealing portrait of master piano technician Stefan Knüpfer and his quest for perfection alongside some of the world’s greatest pianists.
• Nous l’Orchestre (2026) — dir. Philippe Béziat
A rare behind-the-scenes journey into the Orchestre de Paris at the Philharmonie de Paris under the direction of Klaus Mäkelä, offering audiences an immersive experience of music in the making. Editor Henry-Pierre Rosamond will represent the film at the Festival.
• One to One: John & Yoko (2025) — dir. Kevin Macdonald
A revelatory exploration of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s years in Greenwich Village, featuring previously unseen material and restored concert footage. Director Kevin Macdonald and cinematographer David Katznelson will be in attendance.
• Playing the Changes: Tracking Darius Brubeck (2024) — dir. Michiel Ten Kleij
A moving portrait of jazz pianist and educator Darius Brubeck, whose lifelong commitment to musical education and cultural exchange demonstrates the enduring social power of jazz. Film subject Darius Brubeck and director Michiel Ten Kleij will present the film.
• Searching for Sugar Man (2012) — dir. Malik Bendjelloul
The Academy Award-winning story of two South Africans who set out to uncover the fate of the enigmatic musician Rodriguez. Producer George Chignell will be in attendance.
Continuing the Festival’s connection to Ménerbes’ artistic heritage, the Rencontres Dora Maar filmmaker conversations will take place ahead of the screenings. These intimate exchanges provide audiences with the opportunity to meet filmmakers, critics and special guests while exploring the themes and stories behind the films.
Rencontres Dora Maar will take place at the elegant Hôtel de Tingry, while evening screenings will be held beneath the stars in the magnificent Place de l’Église at the centre of Ménerbes.
THURSDAY 30 JULY | 10:30–11:30 | HÔTEL DE TINGRY
BEYOND BIOGRAPHY: WHO GETS TO TELL AN ARTIST’S STORY?
Documentary biographies come in many forms: collaborative portraits, archival investigations, hybrid works, posthumous accounts and films shaped by the active participation of their subjects. Drawing on examples including One to One: John & Yoko, Broken English and Jane B. par Agnès V., this discussion explores how filmmakers represent artists and cultural figures on screen. Considering the role of memory, archive, reconstruction, collaboration and interpretation, participants will examine the creative and ethical challenges of telling a life through cinema — and ask who gets to shape the stories we tell about artists.
Panelists: Kevin Macdonald, Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard. Moderators: Sophie Rosemont & Mark Kermode
DOCUMENTING MUSICIANS: THE ROLLING STONES AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Using The Rolling Stones as a case study, this discussion explores the evolution of the music documentary, from the groundbreaking Direct Cinema of Albert and David Maysles’ Gimme Shelter, to films such as Robert Frank’s Cocksucker Blues and Paul Simon: Born at the Right Time. Emmy Award-winning editor and director Susan Steinberg reflects on the challenges of documenting musicians over time. Examining questions of access, authorship, performance and legacy, the panel considers why music documentaries continue to captivate audiences across generations.
Panelist: Susan Steinberg. Moderators: Sophie Rosemont & Mark Kermode
SATURDAY 1 AUGUST | 10:30–11:30 | SALLE DES FÊTES
FINDING THE MUSIC: THE CREATIVE DIALOGUE BETWEEN DIRECTOR, EDITOR AND COMPOSER
How does music shape the emotional life of a documentary? Through a selection of extracts from the award-winning films of Raoul Peck, composer Alexei Aigui and editor Alexandra Strauss explore the creative relationship between director, editor and composer. Drawing on their collaborations on films including I Am Not Your Negro, Ernest Cole: Lost and Found and Orwell: 2+2=5, they discuss how music is conceived, developed and woven into the storytelling process, revealing the powerful role that sound, silence and rhythm play in shaping the audience experience.
Panelists: Alexei Aigui, Alexandra Strauss. Moderator: Mark Kermode
Each future edition of Provence Arts Festival du Film will focus on a different artistic discipline, exploring the worlds of visual art, performance, fashion, literature, architecture, poetry, dance, design, and the art of food and wine through documentary cinema.
With internationally acclaimed films, distinguished guests and thought-provoking conversations, Provence Arts Festival du Film continues to establish itself as a distinctive cultural event celebrating the arts through the power of documentary cinema.
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