I had contrived a scenario in which she ran mindlessly by cages of various animals paying them no heed while they, subject to edited inserts, would appear as excited Stacy observers. I had not fully mastered the tripod and suddenly in the middle of a jerky pan from a drinking fountain the entire tripod is sent flying and never reappears. In fact it has yet to be replaced. Stacy, bored with animals sets out to explore some noises she hears and ends up discovering a merry-go-round. When I finally catch up and help get her up on one of those huge horses for the first time, I see the look on her face, and I know. There’s the film. I should be watching not directing. The unplanned seems to me more interesting always, or at least more possible than the planned. That’s really the film I’ve been trying to make ever since. - D.A. Pennebaker

Depeche Mode's famous 101st and final concert of the 1987-1988 Music For The Masses Tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Interviews and footage document the life and work of dancer Bessie Schonberg.

Westernhagens "Affentour" im Sommer 95 war die erfolgreichste Tournee eines deutschen Musikers überhaupt. Mit seinen Superhits "Sexy", "Schweigen ist feige", "Mit Pfefferminz bin ich dein Prinz" u. a. begeisterte er rund 850.000 Zuschauer in vier Wochen. Das Regie-Duo D. A. Pennebaker und Chris Hegedus begleitete Marius M.-W. während der Tour und gibt nun intime Einblicke in das Leben hinter der Bühne frei.

The filmmakers accompany Alan Schneider, director of the American premieres of most of Beckett's plays, and producer Daniel Labeille to the home of Billie Whitelaw, whom Schneider, ironically, had never met previously, and takes us through the rehearsal process of Beckett's newest play, including the recording of the dialogue, as almost all of it is voiceover. The final fifteen minutes of the film are the premiere performance in its entirety.

Concert documentary of The National's performance at Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2010, interspersed with interview footage of the band.

In the 1970s, the U.S. faced an energy crisis so severe that President Jimmy Carter declared it “the moral equivalent of war.” Seeking to curb the country’s dependence on foreign oil, Carter kicked off a legislative melee with the divisive Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 at its center. This epic look at the inner workings of government chronicles the arduous efforts of lobbyists, senators, cabinet members, and the president himself to reach a compromise amid a deeply divided Congress. Directed by legendary documentary filmmakers D. A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, and Pat Powell as a three-part PBS special, THE ENERGY WAR is a riveting immersion into the high-stakes world of DC dealmaking as well as a timely account of the messy realities of lawmaking in a fractious political environment.

Woodstock Diary was originally broadcasted on U.S. TV in August 1994 - in honor of the 25th anniversary of the event. Later it was released on DVD with remastered 5.1 sound. It includes performances not shown in the Woodstock movie but not exclusively. Between the songs there are recent interviews with the producers / organizers of Woodstock Joel Rosenman, John Roberts, Michael Lang, the stage announcer Wavy Gravy and Lisa Law (a member of the Hog Farm who helped out at the festival).

A film featuring the veteran soul music artists and music of Stax Records. It tells the story of soul, a musical genre that was to have a major influence on other styles of music for decades. Ten legends of soul talk about the beginnings and still show at their concerts today that, despite their advanced age, they have lost none of the energy and joie de vivre that defines this music.

Those who played prominent roles in Clinton's 1992 Presidential campaign return to discuss how politics and the media have changed since that time.

Assembled by some of the nation's top documentary filmmakers, this centerpiece film in HBO's 'Addiction' campaign features insights from experts on trends and treatments in the ongoing battle against drug and alcohol abuse. This documentary consists of nine segments that focus on case studies and cutting-edge treatments that challenge traditional beliefs about addiction.

Emmy-winning actor-comedian Robert Wuhl assumes the role of college professor in this hilarious history lesson conducted in front of an audience of actual New York City college students. Four segments explore the lesser-known aspects of America's storied past that everybody thought they already knew -- including the truth about Paul Revere, the hypocrisy of several founding fathers and the origin of many "modern" ideas.

On May 24, 2000, the historic Ryman Auditorium was booked to offer Nashvillians an evening of sublime beauty. Label executives and soundtrack producers so loved the music of O Brother, Where Art Thou? that they brought it to life as a benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen loved it so much that they hired famed documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker to record the show for posterity. The concert that unfolded that night was one of the greatest musical moments in the annals of Music City. Performers: John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Thomas King, The Cox Family, Fairfield Four, Union Station, Colin Linden, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, The Peasall Sisters, Ralph Stanley, David Rawlings, The Whites.

A documentary portrait of the backstage efforts to stage the play Moon Over Buffalo on Broadway.

"Announcing itself as “a typical Pennebaker production of a typical Godard visit,” JLG speaks with grad students and Serge Losique at NYU in April 1968. Pennebaker: “When Jean-Luc Godard came to New York to make a film [1 A.M./1 P.M.] with me and Ricky Leacock, he was anxious to see America before the revolution broke out, torn up as it was with the Vietnam furor. Godard’s most recent film, La Chinoise, was playing, and Columbia University students, who had initiated their student uprising on the day the film opened, were pouring into the theater. This to our unexpected delight, for when Godard had arranged for us to distribute the film, we had done so with misgiving since his films were not normally known to fill theaters. So as we laughed at his sly remarks, it occurred to us that there were two audiences involved here, and maybe that our film should be about that. It might also be noted that the date of the filming, April 4, 1968, was the day Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Of course, none of us in the room knew about that then."

The collar awarded to the winners of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France) is more than the ultimate recognition for every pastry chef - it is a dream and an obsession. The 3-day competition includes everything from delicate chocolates to precarious six foot sugar sculptures and requires that the chefs have extraordinary skill, nerves of steel and luck. The film follows Jacquy Pfeiffer, founder of The French Pastry School in Chicago, as he returns to France to compete against 15 of France's leading pastry chefs. The filmmakers were given first time/exclusive access to this high-stakes drama of passion, sacrifice, disappointment and joy in the quest to have President Sarkozy declare them one of the best in France.

Documentary about recording the cast album of the 1971 Broadway musical Company

John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band played their first and last performance at the Sweet Toronto Peace Festival in 1969 that featured Yoko Ono, famed guitarist Eric Clapton and renowned musicians Klaus Voorman (bass) and Alan White (drums). This classic film captures John Lennon in the only performance with the Plastic Ono Band. The Plastic Ono Band is introduced by footage of individual performances including Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Tracklist: 1. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley 2. Hound Dog - Jerry Lee Lewis 3. Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry 4. Lucille - Little Richard 5. Blue Suede Shoes - John Lennon 6. Money 7. You Make Me Dizzy Miss Lizzy - John Lennon 8. Yer Blues 9. Yer Blues - John Lennon 10. Cold Turkey - John Lennon 11. Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon 12. Don't Worry Kyoto (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In the Snow) - Yoko Ono 13. John, John (Let's Hope For Peace) - Yoko Ono Special features: an interview with Yoko Ono conducted in London in 1988 at the John Lennon Exhibition. She talks about how they met, how they named the Plastic Ono Band, and the period leading up to the Sweet Toronto concert.