Ain't Misbehavin

In this autobiographical documentary by Marcel Ophüls, the famous filmmaker relates the stories of his life. Often told in the locations where the events actually took place, the stories are edited into a continuous chronological story illustrated by archive footage and film excerpts, from his own work and that of others. With his theatrical way of speaking – with a lot of meaningful whispers and dramatic emphasis – Ophüls leads us through both his personal life and the history of Western cinema (and indirectly, political history) of the past century. He goes from his earliest memories, on a film set with his father (the equally famous filmmaker Max Ophüls, born Oppenheimer, 1902-1957), through his experiences in World War II to the highlights of his oeuvre, including the documentary masterpieces (1969, Oscar nomination) and (1988, Oscar® and Special Jury Award at IDFA). Ophüls loves to reminisce, including with actress Jeanne Moreau and director Costa-Gavras, and he proudly talks about his films and contacts with celebrities such as Stanley Kubrick and Marlene Dietrich, who once took him to a lesbian club. In this way, he honors François Truffaut’s request that he make a memoir of his life.