Films about story-telling

With piercing cinematography and a score by Randy Newman, the 1990 Barry Levinson film Avalon is a must-see for Americans. Here's an old trailer.

What would you give to offer your child these stories and this kind of childhood? What would you do to protect that culture? The suggestive name of this film makes you wonder.

Finding Neverland is another movie about story-telling (and I'm pleased to offer a clip from the very best part of the film). And so is Big Fish (MAJOR caveat here--just check out the warning before you jump into this one--it's rated PG-13 for a reason). But these two movies tell stories about telling stories, while Avalon tells a story about stories that tell our history and our worldview--who we are, why we're here. Finding Neverland and Big Fish are films for Sailor and Poet, but Avalon is for Grizzlebeard.

And here is Michael Wood, a pretty good story-teller following Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia--if you wade through it, you'll see a true Iranian story-teller at work.