Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

Moazzam Begg has been detained under suspicion of terrorism in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cuba and Britain. In 2002, in Bagram, he confessed to being a member of Al Qaeda. He has never been convicted of any crime. This is his first-hand account, a chronicle of the rise of modern jihad, its descent into terror and the disastrous reaction of the West. Sheffield Doc/Fest 2016 - World premiere

Synopsis

Cult-pop raconteur Aidan Moffat, former frontman of indie band Arab Strap sets out to explore Scotland’s past by rewriting and touring its oldest songs. But he doesn’t count on running into 79-year-old force of nature Sheila Stewart, a travelling balladeer who upturns Moffat’s folk assumptions. He believes the old songs are ripe for updating. She does not. With Stewart’s wrath ringing in his ears, Moffat embarks on a road trip that finds him dressed for battle in a Highland graveyard, caught between feuding monster-hunters at Loch Ness, and singing in a dismissive farmer’s kitchen, before facing Stewart in his home-town of Glasgow for an unlikely final showdown, in this funny wee film about music and death. Glasgow Film Festival 2016 - World premiere

Synopsis

Documentary focusing on the work, both on screen and off, of director Ken Loach. Revolving around the 'battles' linked to his long filmography- ranging from the campaign to combat homelessness prompted by the 1966 film 'Cathy Come Home', to a right-wing press backlash over the Palme d’Or win for 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley' in 2006, to a fight with the censors over the language in 'Sweet Sixteen'. A provocative and revealing account of the life and career of one of Britain’s foremost filmmakers, produced as he turns eighty, looking back at over fifty years of filmmaking.

Synopsis

The picture we frame of the past continuously changes and grows over time, slowly becoming less similar to the original experience. Returning to Blackpool, we visit people, places and memories as 24 hours in the ‘Vegas of the North’ unfolds.

Synopsis

Consumed is a cinematic journey through the landscapes, mines, factories, and shipyards of Chinese production. Blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, a single worker narrates his story to the rhythm of industrial machinery, re-framing supply chains as a narrative performance at global scale.

Synopsis

On a dusty hillside surrounded by olive trees, the children of Ketermaya play far away from the horrors of Syria. But life in the Lebanese refugee camp is far from easy. Disrupted education, the loss of loved ones, and the scars of war and chemical weapons weigh heavily in this extraordinary portrait of family and childhood innocence. An important corrective to narratives surrounding refugees, and a moving fable of hope and resilience in unimaginable circumstances

Synopsis

The inside story of a group of men willing to risk all in the hunt for glory in the world’s toughest motor race: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. The undisputed “King of Le Mans” is the dashing German driver for Audi, André Lotterer. The three-time winner is a master at fighting off pretenders to his throne but, this year, will the hunter become the hunted? His main challenge is Porsche's Aussie Grit, Formula 1 favourite Mark Webber - back at Le Mans after a long absence and determined to win. Having failed to finish the race in three attempts and come close to death on the track, he wonders how many more rolls of the dice he might have... Focussing on the 2015 race, with unparalleled behind-the-scenes access, what plays out is a truly thrilling story of racing guts and glory with endless twists and turns for every team… This is racing seen as a battle for survival. Presented in 4k 3D and using state-of-the-art technology, this is racing shown on the big screen as it has never before been seen. As Steve McQueen said, "Racing is life, everything else is just waiting."

Synopsis

An intimate view of the studio of American composer Laurie Spiegel (born 1945). Known for her electronic-music compositions and her algorithmic composition software, the film also reveals all manner of music and technology paraphernalia, from music scores to DIY inventions and quirky toy collections. The soundtrack features electronic music composed by Spiegel, with her voiceover musing on electronic music and the compositional process.

Synopsis

Exploring the rise of Scotland’s independent music scene in the 1990s, led by cult label Chemikal Underground. Featuring The Delgados, Bis, Mogwai, Arab Strap, Franz Ferdinand, and other seminal acts, an intimate film exploring friendship, creativity and music. On the journey, we revisit a defining, chaotic trip early in the musicians’ careers, re-staging a concert in Brittany that connects the characters in life (and on stage) for the first time in many years. Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016 - World premiere

Synopsis

A British veteran of the Italian campaign of 1945 inquires about a name, Vlado Turina. The journey to discover if Turina was a spy or a freedom fighter, an Italian or a Slovenian, takes the researcher from the public to the private sphere and changes her sense of identity forever.

Synopsis

Referring to the printing-press and Derrida’s concept of erasure from his book 'Of Grammatology' the monologue was written, and voiced, by Gayatri Spivak, translator of 'Of Grammatology'. The film features a petroglyph of a car at ‘Writing-on Stone’ or Áísínai'pi in the language of the Blackfoot nation means “it is pictured”.

Synopsis

A bold and exciting feature documentary that encapsulates a momentous period in the history of Russia and the Russian Avant-Garde. Drawing on the collections of major Russian institutions, contributions from contemporary artists, curators, and performers and personal testimony from the descendants of those involved, the film brings the artists of the Russian Avant-Garde to life. It tells the stories of artists like Chagall, Kandinsky, Malevich and others – pioneers who flourished in response to the Utopian challenge of building a New Art for a New World, only to be broken by implacable authority after 15 short years. Stalin’s rise to power marked the close of this momentous period, consigning the Avant Garde to obscurity. Yet the Russian Avant-Garde continues to exert a lasting influence over art movements up to the present day. Revolution - New Art for a New World confirms this, exploring the fascination that these colourful paintings, inventive sculptures and propaganda posters retain over the modern consciousness 100 years on.