Harlan’s film not only provides an insight into the way Kubrick worked, he also portrays Kubrick’s life outside his career. Christiane Kubrick, with whom Kubrick shared his life from 1958 onwards, has placed at the filmmaker’s disposal rare photographs of Kubrick as well as hitherto unseen film footage shot during their married life together. Alongside Kubrick’s wife, friends, former cast and crew members and prominent colleagues all share their memories of both the perfectionist filmmaker and the man that was Stanley Kubrick.

Jan Harlan was Stanley Kubrick's brother in law and assisted in many of his productions.

The sudden death of Stanley Kubrick two years ago, shortly before his 71st birthday, put an unexpected full stop to a private and enigmatic life. In his 37-year career, Kubrick's name came to represent a hallmark of quality and excellence, though his extraordinary attention to detail also made him notorious as a demanding and exhausting taskmaster. Off screen, however, the man remained something of a myth, refusing to give interviews and preferring the quiet life of his St Albans estate to the hustle and bustle of his native America.

This year's Berlin festival pays tribute to Kubrick in three ways. First, there is his stunning war story Paths of Glory, programmed as a reminder of Lifetime Achievement winner Kirk Douglas' impressive talents. Then there is his seminal 2001, the psychedelic sci-fi thriller that closes the festival in a newly restored print. And for those who would like to know more about the man himself, there is this three-part documentary by Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law and producer on all his movies since Barry Lyndon. Narrated by Tom Cruise, the film features unprecedented footage of the director who refused to play the celebrity game.

DW