From 1948-58 Alain Renais made eight short films, of which Nuit et Brouillard is probably the best known. Dealing with German concentration camps, the film juxtaposes the past and the present, exploring the nature of memory and history. The film is built on a systematic pattern of related oppositions : present/past, color/black-and-white, tranquility/horror, natural environment/buildings, footage shot for the film/archive material. To some extent the film′s reputation and sustained interest is largely due to the subject matter it depicts.