If there is one thing that makes me totally jealous about French and German TV viewers is the Franco-German ARTE network and the books and DVD produced by the ARTE group.
Being Italian I don't usually watch a lot of TV (thanks to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, only 1% of the Italian TV programmes can indeed be watched without puking or without standing up and shouting swearwords to the TV screen...).
ARTE has the power to restore your faith in intelligent TV programmes since it usually broadcasts a mish-mash of documentaries, films, informative programmes and features about different themes and topics, from art to fashion, music, theatre and history.
I honestly think ARTE TV is probably the only channel that nowadays has the guts to broadcast a clever documentary about modern design or a moving history of the Armenian genocide.
One of my first introduction to ARTE's DVDs actually happened on a rainy Glasgow evening when, while flicking through TV channels, I stumbled upon Loïc Prigent's Signé Chanel.
I thought it was a great documentary about fashion since it showed all the people who work behind the scenes and not just a bunch of pretentious designers enjoying themselves at parties.
After watching Prigent's documentary I went online to see if I could find its DVD and discovered it was available from ARTE Boutique.
If you're obsessed about ARTE as much as I am, you will be happy to know that it recently released in DVD the documentary "Yves Saint Laurent - Tout Terriblement", by Jérôme de Missolz and Armelle Brusq.
Shot in 1994, between Paris, Marrakech and Deauville, while Yves Saint Laurent was preparing a haute couture collection, the documentary is a homage to one of the most important designers in the history of contemporary fashion, but also helps the viewer to discover his world and ambitions.
The video includes exclusive footage accompanied by Jeanne Moreau's voice and also a 24 page booklet with the full script of the film with a preface by Marguerite Duras. The DVD has been available at Colette from early October, but you're still perfectly on time to add it to your personal Christmas present wishlist.
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