There are few more influential people in the history of cinema than Charlie Chaplin.

Recognized worldwide for his signature mustache and his Tramp character, Chaplin entertained audiences for decades. But who the real Chaplin was is much more of a mystery, and so many years later, fans – and even those who knew him – are still trying to figure it out.

The documentary The Real Charlie Chaplin looks at the whole story behind Chaplin, tracing the congruence of his childhood with the birth of cinema and his emergence as a dominant figure on screen who waited years to speak. Many questions are presented, and some are answered, and this exploration of the myth of Chaplin and the man behind the mustache is extraordinarily interesting.

I had the chance to speak with directors Peter Middleton and James Spinney about why they wanted to make a film about Chaplin, what they learned, and what they wish they knew but weren’t able to discover.

You can watch the video below, along with an official summary and where to watch.

Interview with Directors Peter Middleton and James Spinney

Film summary:

From the award-winning creative team behind NOTES ON BLINDNESS and LISTEN TO ME, MARLON comes a contemporary take on cinema’s most iconic figure. Combining unheard audio recordings, dramatic reconstructions and personal archive, the film traces Charlie Chaplin’s meteoric rise from the slums of Victorian London to the heights of Hollywood superstardom, before his scandalous fall from grace. This kaleidoscopic documentary portrait explores the many facets of a complex figure whose life was as extraordinary as his art.

For decades he was the most famous man in the world. But who was THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN?

The Real Charlie Chaplin premieres on Showtime on Saturday, December 11th at 8pm.