The Belcourt Theatre

The Belcourt Theatre

8 Episodes

Art-House America

Welcome to the Belcourt, a beloved Nashville institution that has been woven into the fabric of its city since it opened in 1925. The venue was one of the Grand Ole Opry’s first homes, and it continues today as a vibrant art-house cinema run by a dedicated staff. A movie lover’s paradise, the Belcourt also serves as a hub for education through programs like the Strong Leads initiative, which introduces a new generation of young female cinephiles to films directed by and centered on women. Plus, Belcourt programmer Toby Leonard presents a selection of all-time favorites.

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The Belcourt Theatre
  • The Belcourt Theatre

    Episode 1

    Discover the storied history of the indispensable Nashville movie theater and community hub committed to enriching its city through cinema.

  • Ikiru

    Episode 2

    Directed by Akira Kurosawa • 1952 • Japan
    Starring Takashi Shimura, Nobuo Kaneko, Kyoko Seki

    One of the greatest achievements by Akira Kurosawa, IKIRU shows the director at his most compassionate—affirming life through an exploration of death. Takashi Shimura beautifully portrays Kanji Watanabe,...

  • Elevator to the Gallows

    Episode 3

    Directed by Louis Malle • 1958 • France
    Starring Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Georges Poujouly

    For his feature debut, twenty-four-year-old Louis Malle brought together a mesmerizing performance by Jeanne Moreau, evocative cinematography by Henri Decaë, and a now legendary jazz score by Miles Da...

  • Profound Desire of the Gods

    Episode 4

    Directed by Shohei Imamura • 1968 • Japan

    When an engineer from Tokyo arrives on an island inhabited by the Futori family, he is drawn into their primitive culture and superstitions. Directed by Shohei Imamura.

  • The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum

    Episode 5

    Directed by Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta • 1975 • Germany

    When Katharina Blum spends the night with an alleged terrorist, her quiet, ordered life falls into ruins. Suddenly a suspect, Katharina is subject to a vicious smear campaign by the police and a ruthless tabloid jou...

  • Wise Blood

    Episode 6

    Directed by John Huston • 1979 • United States
    Starring Brad Dourif, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton

    In this acclaimed adaptation of the first novel by legendary Southern writer Flannery O’Connor, John Huston vividly brings to life her poetic world of American eccentricity. Brad Dourif, in an imp...

  • Secret Honor

    Episode 7

    Directed by Robert Altman • 1984 • United States
    Starring Philip Baker Hall

    Sequestered in his home, a disgraced President Richard Milhous Nixon arms himself with a bottle of scotch and a gun to record memoirs that no one will hear. He is surrounded by the silent portraits of Lincoln, Eisenhower...

  • La Ciénaga

    Episode 8

    Directed by Lucrecia Martel • 2001 • Argentina, Spain
    Starring Martín Adjemián, Diego Baenas, Leonora Balcarce

    The release of Lucrecia Martel’s LA CIÉNAGA heralded the arrival of an astonishingly vital and original voice in Argentine cinema. With a radical and disturbing take on narrative, beaut...