Mourir à Madrid (1963)

All of French documentary director Frederic Rossif's compilation films are models of the genre, some even more than that (as evidenced by Rossif's multiple industry awards). Most observers regard his 1963 work To Die in Madrid (Mourir a Madrid) as his masterpiece. Using painstakingly selected newsreel clips and still photos, Rossif thoroughly conveys the horror, disillusion and bravery of the Spanish Civil War. Movingly narrated by John Gielgud and Irene Worth, this film was nominated for an Academy Award. Before its successful worldwide distribution in 1965, generous portions of To Die in Madrid were incorporated into