From Darkness to Light

This documentary investigates the disappearance of The Day the Clown Cried, a 1972 project written, directed, and starred in by Jerry Lewis. The film focused on a German clown in a concentration camp, but Lewis left the production near completion and took the footage with him, leaving the project unseen for decades. The narrative follows the search for these lost tapes and presents restored material alongside interviews with associates and celebrities, including Martin Scorsese, to explain the challenges of the production and the mystery surrounding its absence.

Directed by Michael Lurie and Eric Friedler, this is the first film listed in the chronological filmography of both directors. The production was a joint effort between Germany and the United States, involving companies such as SWR, Sugar Town Filmproduktion, and UNTOLD. The cast includes Jerry Lewis, Martin Scorsese, Hans Crispin, Jean-Jacques Beineix, Harry Shearer, and Tomas Bolme, with a total of 29 credited cast members. The film was released on April 20, 2025, with a total runtime of 108 minutes.