100 Jahre Hollywood - Die Carl Laemmle Story

Red carpet, flashbulbs, tuxedos and evening gowns: Hollywood celebrates its birthday. For a hundred years, this has been the place where films and their stars are celebrated. Hollywood is the most American of dreams. But hardly anyone suspects that this story began in the German provinces - with the Swabian emigrant Carl Laemmle from Laupheim near Ulm, who founded Universal Studios in Hollywood in 1912. Together with his niece Carla Laemmle, who is as old as the dream factory itself - namely one hundred years old - the film takes us on a fantastic journey back to the beginnings of film history - to a time when everything was simply "wild", when Indians, elephants and monsters ran around on the Universal premises and things were still loud and hearty during filming.

Directed by Kai Christiansen, 100 Jahre Hollywood - Die Carl Laemmle Story leans on a strong ensemble — Carla Laemmle, Peter Bogdanovich, John Malkovich — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2011.