Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

Following the collaborative process of the band Mumford & Sons with an esteemed collection of musical partners during their 2016 tour of South Africa. Inspired by their first trek through the territory, and the unprecedented excitement from their South African fans, the band was moved to record five new songs with artists Baaba Maal, Mamadou Sarr, The Very Best, and Beatenberg. The blending of ideas and musical styles from Senegal, Sweden, Malawi, Cape Town, and London resulted in their acclaimed Johannesburg mini-album, recorded in just two days and released globally in June 2016.

Synopsis

Acclaimed graphic novelist Robert Valley’s first animated short is the tale of a charismatic but self-destructive friend living on the edge. The brutally honest story of Robert's turbulent relationship with a friend from childhood, who cries out for help from a military hospital in China and sets Rob on a wild ride to get him home to Vancouver. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2016 - Sonic Strand

Synopsis

Jasun Watkins brings his pink, brash and very camp Elvis impersonation act to Porthcawl in the biggest Elvis tribute festival in Europe. This documentary joins him in the days leading up to the competition, as he recalls how his troubled family life and childhood suffering fed his desire for fame.

Synopsis

A hard-hitting drama based on the true story of a young woman who must deal with the devastating effects of having a murderer for a brother. Anne Marie O’Donnell pieces together the harrowing events that lead to the murders by her brother Brendan in the forest of East Clare, Ireland, of a young mother, her son and the curate, Father Joe Walsh. Piece by piece, as her story unfolds Anne Marie reveals the neglect by the state, the brutal physical beatings that her brother suffered as a child at home and the sexual abuse and rape inflicted by his nightmarish parish Priest whilst in his care. Ultimately, mistakes and lost opportunities all lead to tragic consequences.

Synopsis

The life and times of the Two Puddings, a legendary pub in London's East End, during its heyday in the 1960s. The pub was famed for its live music, its exciting atmosphere, and for its dancefloor upstairs - which may have been the UK's first real disco. The Two Puddings attracted famous musicians, sportsmen and artists, and was an inspiration for the writer of the classic British gangster movie 'The Long Good Friday'.

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An experimental documentary, chronicalling the director's maternal grandmother's life in Communist Hungary. The film serves as a memento of times past and as a reminder of how socialism colonized the souls of a generation.

Synopsis

Havana Moon captures the historic, once in a lifetime concert by The Rolling Stones in Havana, Cuba. Directed by Paul Dugdale (Adele, Coldplay) this epic, record breaking concert features the hits ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’, ‘It's Only Rock ’n Roll’, ‘Gimme Shelter’, ‘Brown Sugar’, ‘Satisfaction’ and many more. Filmed at the end of the América Latina Olé Tour 2016 Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood perform a truly spectacular set to over 1.2 million adoring fans.

Synopsis

Set in a former Cold War era civil defence bunker turned data centre buried 30 metres underground in Stockholm. Part Bond villain lair, part retro-futuristic spaceship, the film explores the temporal nature of data space and geology. Once housing servers for WikiLeaks, issues of privacy, surveillance and digital sovereignty emanate.

Synopsis

Three Men, Thirty Days and one Ten Dollar Bill. A documentary about three British filmmakers who follow a ten dollar bill for one month as it criss-crosses the United States. The bill travels 6000 miles and passes through the hands of countless wonderful characters. By journey's end, the film builds a unique and surprising portrait of the American people.

Synopsis

The powerful story of how a new generation of black and brown activists are changing the social and political landscape in the capital and beyond. Following an exciting new breed of organisations as well as the young Londoners that are part of them. The London Black Revolutionaries, or ‘Black Revs’, have a predilection for dramatic, raucous, direct action. 'R Movement' challenge the idea of the ‘Staid and Serious’ political activist and 'The Black Dissidents' are a new organisation intent on furthering the fight against oppression along the lines of race, class and gender. A chronicle of the evolution of characters as they experience personal and political awakenings, breakthroughs and, at times, disillusionment. A unique and original glimpse into the rewarding but difficult path that must be trodden in the struggle for personal, social and political liberation.

Synopsis

India’s largest crowdsourced documentary. The story of a single day, 10th October 2015. The film is a unique document, capturing a remarkable range of characters and personal reflections into what it means to be alive in India today, submitted by individuals from across the country.

Synopsis

By the early 1980s, after two decades of violence and unrest, the situation in Northern Ireland took a sudden and profound turn inside the infamous Maze Prison. Seeking the right to be treated as political prisoners rather than common criminals, Irish Republicans led by Bobby Sands began a prison hunger strike that would draw international attention to the conflict. In the 66 days that he refused food, Sands would be elected to the British Parliament, put the Irish Republican struggle centre stage on the world news agenda, and pay the ultimate price for his political convictions. The film combines a powerful mosaic of archival materials, reconstructions and the illuminating accounts of former prisoners, commentators and key players in the drama. With Sands' evocative prison diary at its core, the film brings fresh insight to an iconic figure who single-handedly created a transformative moment in Ireland's history that had global aftershocks. (Hot Docs brochure) Hot Docs 2016 - World premiere