
An exploration of the life and work of video art pioneers Steina and Woody Vasulka. The film examines the artistic processes of the pair and their profound effect on the 1960s New York art scene and beyond, through their experiments in the electronic medium of video. \n\nFollowing their story over a 40-year-long journey, the film explores how the video art movement caught the spirit of the times. Their unique cross-disciplinary environment – The Kitchen - helped to launch the careers of many artists who have defined the American avant-garde, including Philip Glass, Jonas Mekas, Brian Eno, Talking Heads, Robert Mapplethorpe, Laurie Anderson and Cindy Sherman. The film examines the artistic struggles between the pair and celebrates the revolutionary power of the creative spirit.
Source: BBC 4
Mike Leigh: Making Plays
Dramatist Mike Leigh talks to Arena about his work and demonstrates his unique processes of building the characters of his dramas.
12-01-2026
BBC 4
The Last Soviet Citizen
Documentary that follows three decades of Soviet space culture, from the glory days of Yuri Gagarin to the saga of Sergei Krikalev, the Soviet citizen who was stranded in space ...
20-11-2025
BBC 4
The Underground
Documentary about the tube, the world's oldest underground system. Three million passengers use it every day, and over the past 150 years, it has developed its own history, alon ...
18-11-2025
BBC 4
The Private Life Of The Ford Cortina
A witty look at the history of the Ford Cortina. Alexei Sayle, John Betjeman, John McVicar and Magnus Magnusson join enthusiasts to reflect on what was, in the 1980s, Britain's ...
10-11-2025
BBC 4
Sister Wendy And The Art Of The Gospel
The arresting sight of Sister Wendy Beckett, all teeth and glasses, burst on to our screens in the 1990s. An instant star, she travelled the world in her habit telling us the st ...
10-11-2025
BBC 4
Francis Bacon
On the occasion of his 75th birthday, Francis Bacon talks with great candour to his friend of many years, the distinguished writer and critic David Sylvester.
03-11-2025
BBC 4
Chelsea Hotel
First transmitted in 1981, this documentary programme looks at New York's Chelsea Hotel, a legendary haven for some of the 20th century's greatest talent, from Mark Twain to Dyl ...
03-11-2025
BBC 4
Masters Of The Canvas
When pop artist Peter Blake confessed that his fantasy was to be the mysterious masked wrestler Kendo Nagasaki, who never speaks and never removes his mask, little did he know w ...
29-10-2025
BBC 4
Art And Design: The Journey
Singer and writer George Melly takes a walk from his home in north London to the Hayward Gallery, reminiscing along the way about the influence of surrealism on his early life.
26-10-2025
BBC 4
Billie Holiday: The Long Night Of Lady Day
A film portrait of one of the greatest jazz singers of all time. Billie Holiday's tragic story, from her traumatic childhood in Baltimore to her premature death in a New York ho ...
06-10-2025
BBC 4
Mike Leigh: Making Plays
Dramatist Mike Leigh talks to Arena about his work and demonstrates his unique processes of building the characters of his dramas.
12-01-2026
BBC 4
A Tall Story - How Salman Rushdie Pickled All Of India
Salman Rushdie, author of Midnight's Children, winner of the Booker Prize 1981, talks about India and the autobiographical elements in the book.
11-08-2022
BBC 4
The Banana
Programme exploring the cultural significance of the banana.\n\nThe Velvet Underground's John Cale tells the story behind Andy Warhol's famous LP cover, Auberon Waugh and John W ...
22-09-2025
BBC 4
Sister Wendy And The Art Of The Gospel
The arresting sight of Sister Wendy Beckett, all teeth and glasses, burst on to our screens in the 1990s. An instant star, she travelled the world in her habit telling us the st ...
10-11-2025
BBC 4
Stanley And His Daughters
'Children of geniuses tend to have a rather hard time of it. If you're a genius you have to be a bit tough', says Unity Spencer, daughter of Stanley Spencer, one of the most imp ...
04-08-2019
BBC 4
The Peter Sellers Story: Episode 1
The first of three films presenting a portrait of one of the world's greatest comic actors, tracing his life from childhood to a successful post-war career with the Goons and more.
02-09-2025
BBC 4
The National Theatre - Learning Zone
Made especially for schools, this version of the BBC Four Arena programme examines the history and purpose of the National Theatre as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
17-06-2014
BBC 4
I Am Not Your Negro
Narrated entirely in the words of James Baldwin, through both personal appearances and the text of his final unfinished book project, this film touches on the lives and assassin ...
11-08-2024
BBC 4
The Most Beautiful Boy In The World
In 1970, film-maker Luchino Visconti travelled throughout Europe looking for the perfect boy to personify absolute beauty as the character of Tadzio in his adaptation for the sc ...
13-02-2022
BBC 4
Edward Hopper
Documentary about the great American realist painter Edward Hopper. His subject is the face of America - haunting, unforgettable images of late-night bars and lonely hotel rooms.
14-11-2023
BBC 4