From the start of his career, Bowie was an artist who often turned to cinema for inspiration. Whether referencing Stanley Kubrick on Space Oddity, posing like Greta Garbo on the cover of Hunky Dory or channelling German expressionism as the Thin White Duke, Bowie was constantly drawing on film iconography in his music. Filmmakers quickly identified his potential as a subject, with documentaries such as DA Pennebaker's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1979) and Alan Yentob's Cracked Actor (1975) capturing spectacular live performances and intimate behind-the-scenes footage.

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