“The Artist”

directed by Michel Hazanavicius

The 2011 French film in the style of a black-and-white silent film. The story takes place in Hollywood, between 1927 and 1932, and focuses on the relationship of an older silent film star (Jean Dujardin) and a rising young actress (Bérénice Bejo) as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by the “talkies”.

It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director for Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Dujardin, who was the first French actor ever to win for Best Actor. It was the first French film to ever win Best Picture, and the first mainly silent film to win since 1927’s Wings and Sunrise won best picture awards at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929. It was also the first film presented in the 4:3 aspect ratio to win since 1955’s Marty, and the first black-and-white film to win since 1993’s Schindler’s List.

click below to view the trailer