Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger said rediscovering archive footage used in a new documentary about the band was like opening a "family scrapbook."

Keep on Rolling: Sir Mick Jagger at Cannes

The 66-year-old put in an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival for a special screening of Stones in Exile, a documentary about the making of the group's 1972 album Exile on Main Street.

The album, which has been re-released, was recorded in the south of France and in Los Angeles after the Rolling Stones left England for tax reasons.

Sir Mick, who was executive producer of the film, said his feelings of nostalgia were replaced by more self-critical attitudes as work began on the documentary.

He said: "It's like when you look through your family scrapbook in a way, you get your book out or get your computer out and you look at these old pictures."

He continued: "You get these nice feelings, but then this isn't actually a family album because you're making a film or re-releasing a record, so you become another personality and think 'that was a good one, that was rubbish'. You have to be professional."

Directed by Stephen Kijak, the film tells how the band dealt with drug addiction and homesickness to create Exile in Main Street, which featured singles such as Rocks Off and Tumbling Dice, in the basement of Keith Richards' French mansion.

Introducing the documentary, Sir Mick said the 1970s footage and photographs showed the band when they "were young, good looking and stupid," adding: "Now we're just stupid."

Exile in Main Street screens as part of the festival's Directors' Fortnight.