A Story of Children and Film

Global cinema's capacity to capture all the emotions of childhood is put front and centre in this typically knowledgeable and idiosyncratic survey from critic-turned-film-maker Mark Cousins. Although the documentary serves up familiar clips from Hollywood classics like Chaplin's The Kid and Spielberg's ET, Cousins's intent is also to share his enthusiasm for great movies unknown to most of us, hence a showcase of remarkable moments from countries as diverse as Japan, Iran, Denmark and... Albania. Cutting his teeth as a presenter on BBC2's much-missed Moviedrome slot in the 1990s, Cousins really came into his own in 2011 with The Story of Film, his 15-hour magnum opus for Channel 4. His sing-song delivery and gadfly attention span has its detractors, yet his delight and sincerity is obvious, even if the film's linking segments (taking in the asylum that hosted van Gogh, and Cousins's junior relatives at play) pan out a little self-consciously. Overall, though, this is captivating, educational stuff: ideal viewing for families looking to broaden their cinematic horizons.