“Film decays. Memory fades. Truth is corrupted.”
Natan tells the remarkable story of Bernard Natan, a Romanian immigrant who came to Paris in 1905 and was involved almost immediately with French cinema. He took control of the Pathe film group in the late 1920s and went on to produce epic films such as Les Miserables. But Natan has become largely written out of French film history for various different reasons. Little attention is paid to him centres on his alleged career as a pioneer and performer in early gay and BDSM porn? The story is an excellent one, suffice to say that his ethnicity and subsequent rumours plagued Natan almost from the start of his career. His ‘comeuppance’ for his alleged transgressions is at the heart of this devastating documentary.
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Not streaming anywhere
Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.
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Cast
18 people
Niall Greig Fulton
The False Natan
Known for
Let Us Prey
The Turning
Paul Duane
David Cairns
Lenny Borger
Lenny Borger
Serge Bromberg
Serge Bromberg
Craig McCall
Bart Bull
Bart Bull
Gisèle Casadesus
Gisèle Casadesus
Known for
My Afternoons with Margueritte
Sarah's Key
Jean Gabin
Fricot
Known for
Grand Illusion
The Sicilian Clan
Brigitte Helm
La baronne Sandorf
Françoise Ickowicz
Françoise Ickowicz
Serge Klarsfeld
Serge Klarsfeld
David Cairns Director · Paul Duane Director
Budget $80K · First release February 17, 2013 · Produced in Ireland, United Kingdom, United States, France
Box office
Budget
$80,000
Production
Screenworks
Production · Distribution
Ireland · United Kingdom · United States · France
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
Ireland · February 17, 2013
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
France
August 16, 2016 · Arte
United Kingdom
June 23, 2013 · Edinburgh International Film Festival
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Some details come from TheTVDB.