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Los Angeles Plays Itself

Of the cities in the world, few are depicted in and mythologized more in film and television than the city of Los Angeles. In this documentary, Thom Andersen examines in detail the ways the city has been depicted, both when it is meant to be anonymous and when itself is the focus. Along the way, he illustrates his concerns of how the real city and its people are misrepresented and distorted through the prism of popular film culture. Furthermore, he also chronicles the real stories of the city's modern history behind the notorious accounts of the great conspiracies that ravaged his city that reveal a more open and yet darker past than the casual viewer would suspect.

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Cast & Crew See All

Encke King
Narrator
Ben Alexander
Officer Frank Smith in Dragnet
Jim Backus
Frank Stark in Rebel Without A Cause

Featured Video

Los Angeles Plays Itself
Los Angeles Plays Itself
1:22

1:22 Los Angeles Plays Itself

Awards

  • 2003 - Independent/Experimental Film and Video Award - - winner
  • 2003 - Best Documentary Feature - - winner
  • 2003 - VVFP Award - Best Undistributed Film - nominated
  • 2004 - VVFP Award - Best Documentary - winner

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