Phil Grabsky

Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers (2024)

200 years after its opening and a century after acquiring its first Van Gogh works, the National Gallery is hosting the UK's biggest ever Van Gogh exhibition. Van Gogh is not only one of the most beloved artists of all time, but perhaps the most misunderst ...

My National Gallery, London (2024)

The National Gallery of London is one of the world's greatest art galleries. It is full of masterpieces, an endless resource of history, an endless source of stories. But whose stories are told? Which art has the most impact and on whom? The power of great ...

John Singer Sargent: Fashion and Swagger (2024)

Filmed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Tate Britain, London, the exhibition reveals Sargent's power to express distinctive personalities, power dynamics and gender identities during this fascinating period of cultural reinvention. Alongside 50 p ...

Klimt & The Kiss (2023)

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt is one of the most recognised and reproduced paintings in the world. It is perhaps the most popular poster on student dorm walls from Beijing to Boston. Painted in Vienna around 1908, the evocative image of an unknown embracing co ...

Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition (2023)

With loans from across the world, this major retrospective will bring together Vermeer's most famous masterpieces including Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Geographer, The Milkmaid, The Little Street, Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid, and Woman Holding a ...

Hopper: An American Love Story (2022)

Countless painters, photographers, filmmakers and musicians have been influenced by Hopper's art – but who was he, and how did a struggling illustrator create such a bounty of notable work? ...

Pissarro: Father of Impressionism (2022)

Without Camille Pissarro, there is no Impressionist movement. He is rightfully known as the father of Impressionism. This film explores and highlights the enthralling and hugely important biography and output of an incredible artist. ...

Raphael Revealed (2021)

Marking the 500th anniversary of Raphael's death, the greatest exhibition ever held of his works took place in Rome. Exhibition on Screen was granted exclusive access to this once-in-a-lifetime show. With over two hundred masterpieces, including paintings ...

My Childhood, My Country: 20 Years in Afghanistan (2021)

In 2014, director Richard Linklater released Boyhood, a fictional coming-of-age saga that was filmed using the same cast across twelve years. This film mirrors that concept: creating a real-life epic of boyhood and manhood that follows the same individual ...

Easter in Art (2020)

Shot on location in Jerusalem, the United States, and throughout Europe, this documentary explores the Easter story as seen through art, from the early Christians to the modern era. Through centuries of artistic interpretation, it reveals not only the stor ...

Lucian Freud: A Self Portrait (2019)

For the first time in history the Royal Academy of Arts in London, in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, is bringing together Lucian Freud's self-portraits. The exhibition will display more than 50 paintings, prints and drawings in whic ...

Leonardo: The Works (2019)

Leonardo da Vinci is acclaimed as the world's favourite artist. Many TV shows and feature films have showcased this extraordinary genius but often not examined closely enough is the most crucial element of all: his art. Leonardo's peerless paintings and dr ...

Young Picasso (2019)

Pablo Picasso is one of the greatest artists of all time - and right up until his death in 1973 he was the most prolific of artists. Many films have dealt with these later years - the art, the affairs and the wide circle of friends. But where did this all ...

Rembrandt: From the National Gallery, London and Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (2018)

Every Rembrandt exhibition is eagerly anticipated but this major show hosted by London's National Gallery and Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum was an event like no other. Given privileged access to both galleries the film documents this landmark exhibition, whilst ...

Cézanne: Portraits of a Life (2018)

Dedicated to the portrait work of Paul Cézanne, the exhibition opens in Paris before traveling to London and Washington. One cannot appreciate 20th century art without understanding the significance and genius of Paul Cézanne. Filmed at the National Por ...

David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts (2017)

Widely considered Britain's most popular artist, David Hockney is a global sensation with exhibitions in London, New York, Paris and beyond, attracting millions of visitors worldwide. Now entering his 9th decade, Hockney shows absolutely no evidence of sl ...

The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism (2017)

Taking its lead from French artists like Renoir and Monet, the American impressionist movement followed its own path which over a forty-year period reveals as much about America as a nation as it does about its art as a creative power-house. It's a story c ...

El fascinante mundo de El Bosco (2017)

I, Claude Monet (2017)

From award-winning director Phil Grabsky comes this fresh new look at arguably the world's favourite artist – through his own words. Using letters and other private writings I, Claude Monet reveals new insight into the man who not only painted the pictu ...

The Curious World of Hieronymus Bosch (2016)

Exhibition on Screen's latest release celebrates the life and masterpieces of Hieronymus Bosch brought together from around the world to his hometown in the Netherlands as a one-off exhibition. With exclusive access to the gallery and the show, this stunni ...

Renoir: Reviled and Revered (2016)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir is known and loved for his impressionist paintings of Paris. These paintings count among the world's favourites. Renoir, however, grew tired of this style and changed course. This film, based on the collection of 181 Renoirs at the Ba ...

Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse (2016)

Claude Monet was an avid horticulturist and arguably the most important painter of gardens in the history of art, but he was not alone. Great artists like Van Gogh, Bonnard, Sorolla, Sargent, Pissarro and Matisse all saw the garden as a powerful subject fo ...

Goya: Visions of Flesh and Blood (2016)

Discover Spain's celebrated artist with this cinematic tour de force based on the National Gallery's must-see exhibition Goya: The Portraits. The film uses this exhibition to look in depth at Goya's eventful life. ...

Concerto: A Beethoven Journey (2015)

Filmed over the course of four years, Grabsky and his Seventh Art team followed leading concert pianist Leif Ove Andsnes's attempt to understand and interpret one of the greatest sets of works for piano ever written: Beethoven's five piano concertos.The en ...

The Impressionists: And the Man Who Made Them (2015)

Monet, Cezanne, Degas, Renoir: some of the world's most popular artists. Their works, and that of their contemporaries, fetch tens of millions of dollars around the globe. But who were they really? Why & how exactly did they paint? What lies behind their e ...

Vincent Van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing (2015)

Delving deep into the fascinating and sometimes deeply troubled world of Vincent van Gogh who, perhaps more than any other artist, has long captured the imagination of storytellers. ...

Girl with a Pearl Earring: And Other Treasures from the Mauritshuis (2015)

The Girl with a Pearl Earring' by Johannes Vermeer is one of the most enduring paintings in the history of art. This beautifully filmed documentary goes in pursuit of answers to the unresolved riddles surrounding this extraordinary piece. ...

Matisse (2014)

MOMA & Tate Modern's landmark show explores the final chapter of Matisse's career when he began 'carving into colour,' creating his signature cut-outs. Audiences are invited to enjoy an intimate, behind-the-scenes documentary about this blockbuster exhibi ...

In Search of Chopin (2014)

The latest in British documentary filmmaker Phil Grabsky's In Search Of series, looking at the life of Polish pianist and composer: Frédéric François Chopin, whose grave in Paris remains a place of pilgrimage and whose music continues to sell out concer ...

Vermeer and Music (2013)

Filmed in London's National Gallery, New York's Met and other galleries in the USA and the Netherlands, this stunning film delves into a breath-taking collection of Vermeer's finest pieces and delivers a detailed biography of the artist, his life and times ...

Munch 150 (2013)

Many know Munch as the man who painted The Scream, but his complete works are remarkable and secure his place as one of the world's great artists. Munch 150 goes behind the scenes to show some of the process of putting the exhibition together - as well as ...

Manet: Portraying Life (2013)

Manet's portraits are rarely afforded such close attention as they are given in this exquisitely crafted and insightful film presented by art expert Tim Marlow. Manet's portraiture comprised about half his work, giving life on canvas to family, friends an ...

Leonardo: From the National Gallery, London (2012)

A remarkable event at London's National Gallery assembled the largest ever collection of Leonardo's surviving paintings for a unique exhibition "Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan." Given exclusive access to the opening night of the exhibitio ...

In Search of Haydn (2012)

In his lifetime Haydn achieved a degree of fame that easily surpassed that of Mozart and Beethoven. In Search of Haydn is an intricate portrait of Haydn's life told through performances and interviews from today's most admired classical musicians. ...

The Boy Mir (2011)

Following the international hit The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan, The Boy Mir will cover not one year but ten. It will track the cheeky, enthusiastic Mir from a childish eight to a fully grown eighteen-year-old. Over those ten years, it will be ...

Making War Horse (2009)

The story of how Michael Morpurgo's children's novel became one of the most popular and acclaimed productions in the National Theatre's history. ...

In Search of Beethoven (2009)

In Search of Beethoven offers a comprehensive documentary about the life and works of the great composer. Over 65 performances by the world's finest musicians were recorded and 100 interviews conducted in the making of this beautifully crafted film. Eleven ...

Escape from Luanda (2007)

In Luanda, one of the world's poorest and most dangerous places, three students from Angola's only music school work towards their end-of-year concert. The Music School is Angola's first and only school of its kind. It houses some 80 students, most of them ...

Heavy Water: A Film for Chernobyl (2007)

On April 26th, 1986, reactor four at Chernobyl nuclear power station explodes, sending an enormous radioactive cloud over Northern Ukraine and neighbouring Belarus. The danger is kept a secret from the rest of the world and the nearby population who go abo ...

In Search of Mozart (2006)

Made to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, IN SEARCH OF MOZART is the first feature-length documentary on Mozart's life. Produced with the world's leading orchestras and musicians, told through a 25,000 mile journey along every route Mozart ...

The Boy who plays On The Buddhas Of Bamiyan (2004)

In March 2001, the ruling Taliban destroyed Afghanistan's foremost tourist attraction, the 1600 year-old Buddhas of Bamiyan. This film follows the story of one of the refugees who now lives among the ruins….an eight-year-old boy named Mir. ...

The Surprising History of Sex and Love (2002)

The Surprising History of Sex and Love is a documentary presented by Terry Jones, looking at the different and surprising attitudes to sex and love throughout history. The documentary traces the story of changing social and religious attitudes to sex throu ...

The Hidden History of Egypt (2002)

Egyptians were famed for their extravagant building techniques and extraordinary gods, but what about the ordinary citizens? How did they lead their day to day lives? What did they do for entertainment? Did they believe in their gods? Discover astonishing ...

The Hidden History of Rome (2002)

Rome was famed for the decadence of its ruling class, however, what about the ordinary citizens of these ancient cultures? How did they lead their day to day lives in an age when the average life expectancy was little more than forty? Did they believe in t ...

Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World (2001)

"This is a kid who just said it. I'm the greatest - and he said it with poetry. And I don't mean just the poems that he wrote but with the poetic energy, the poetic spirit" - James Earl Jones. Through the eys of the world is a unique account of one of the ...

Nero's Golden House (2001)

Julius Caesar: Master of the Roman World (1993)

Julius Caesar turned military victories into political power. His ambition created a colossal empire, and he gave his name to the rulers who succeeded him. From his strategic brilliance to the Ides of March this documentary examines the legendary ruler who ...

The Life of Mir (2021)

The British Regisseur Phil Grabsky has documented an Afghan boy's life for 10 years. ...