The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (DVD)

"The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille" began as a filmmaking enterprise: "Let's dig up a 1923 film set and make a movie about it." It seemed like a good idea to a handful of young filmmakers in 1983. They never could have guessed their dream would take nearly 30 years to be realized. But in 2012, with funding from an independent "angel," an archaeological excavation of the site finally took place. What that excavation found is at the exciting climax of "The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille." Because the filmmakers began their work in the 1980's, they were able to capture interviews with many of the people - actors, writers, chariot drivers and extras - who worked with DeMille in 1923. They also filmed interviews with people who worked on the second version of The Ten Commandments (the 1956 version with Charlton Heston). The two versions of The Ten Commandments were like bookends on the remarkable career of Cecil B. DeMille. The documentary tells the story of these two films, interwoven with the story of the archaeological excavation of the site, as well as the incredible obstacles the project faced. l

• documentary