Les Blank Films (Firm)

How to Smell A Rose documents Les Blank's visit with the legendary co-founder of Direct Cinema, Richard Leacock (1921-2011), in 2000. At his farm in Normandy, France, Blank, and co-director Gina Leibrecht, recorded conversations with Leacock about his life, his work, and his other passion: cooking! In the early sixties, together with Robert Drew, D.A. Pennebaker, and the Maysles brothers, Leacock changed the way documentary films were made.. Leacock's...

This documentary chronicles the excavation of Fort St. Louis, built in 1685 by the French explorer René-Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle on the banks of Garcitas Creek, which feeds into Matagorda Bay. On this site in 1722, the Spanish, after searching for years to find the remains of the French fort, erected Presidio La Bahia with a stockade wall in the shape of a 16-pointed star. DREAMS OF CONQUEST follows Texas Historical Commission archeologists...

Produced and directed by Kidlat Tahimik, this brilliant semi-autobiographical fable tells the story of a young Filipino born in 1942 (during the Occupation), his awakening to, and reaction against, American cultural colonialism. In his small village, Kidlat dreams of Cape Canaveral and listens to the Voice of America; he's even the president of his village's Werner Von Braun fan club. Winner of the Berlin Film Festival International Critics Award...

The 1995 excavation of La Belle, buried beneath Matagorda Bay off the coast of Texas for more than three centuries, is among the most significant archeological discoveries in North America. Through an unprecedented recovery effort by the Texas Historical Commission, including the construction of a cofferdam and the pumping out of more than 300,000 gallons of water, the ill-fated expedition in 1684 by French explorer René-Robert Cavalier, Sieur de...

More than an anthropological documentary, this rare, beautifully made record of the Volador ritual as performed by the Totonac Indians of Huehuetla, Puebla, Mexico, brings alive the mythic dimensions of ritual communal celebration. The Voladores (Flyers) ritual dates back to 500 A.D. The soundtrack consists of flute and drum music, with narration taken from 15th century Nahuatl poetry.

This softball umpire training film was one of Les Blank's early industrial films made in 1962 prior to his independent filmmaking career. He made over 20 industrial films which helped him hone his skills as a filmmaker. Les recorded his own voice for most of the umpire calls which are humorous. Found as a marked-up work print in a cardboard box, this film wasn't completed until 2015.

A reflexive, first-person narrative by Captain Don Leslie, a sideshow sword-swallower, human blockhead, tattooed man, and fire eater. Recounting everything from childhood feelings of being an "oddball" to his injuries as a sword-swallower, Captain Don spews flames, lights his tongue on fire, and sings about the circus and tattooing.

This creative educational film by Pieter Van Deusen features a variety of wind instruments performed by noted musicians Eli Hollander & Tony Plog. The film crew included Les Blank as 2nd Camera along with assistant Skip Gerson. This film was part of a music film series for Churchill Films: WIND SOUNDS, Percussion Sounds, and an offshoot film by Pieter with Les Blank entitled Christopher Tree.

In 1964, Mariepaul Vermersch and her parents, Maurice and Rose, arrived at the World's Fair site in Queens and set up a booth serving the popular street food from their home in Brussels, Belgium's capital. They wanted to call them Brussels Waffles, but Rose discovered that Americans didn't know where Brussels was. They began calling them Bel-Gems or Belgian Waffles. They were unlike almost every other waffle served in the United States until then:...

An intimate look at rural Texas culture and the traditional fiddle music played on its back roads. With spirited rhythms and guitar accompaniment, Texas fiddling is a crowd pleaser that has influenced western swing and folk music across the country. TEXAS STYLE brings you to the Homecoming, Rodeo, Reunion and Fiddling Contest in Gustine, Texas, where there are armadillo races, tobacco-spitting and frog hopping contests, cow chip throwing and young...