Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

A Documentary on Women’s experience of Punk.

The present media interest in the 70’s is a pre punk; US dominated vision of the era. The UK experience was of a decadent hippie movement and the apolitical skinhead movement being swept aside by punk. This programme reassesses from a punk women’s perspective, women’s role in this dynamic movement that irreversibly changed the face of society, politics art and music.

Director Zillah Minx – Lead singer with punk band rubella ballet since 1976.

Synopsis

At the beginning of the last century, Romanian peasants discovered the solemn music of the military bands when they went into the cities. They were so impressed by these that they wanted to have brass bands in their villages as well. With the arrival of the communists, these popular country marching brass bands were invited to participate at official events. The regime confiscated their land, built immense industrial complexes and many of the farm-workers became factory workers. The brass bands then became a symbol of the people’s well-being and the brotherhood between the farm and factory workers. With the fall of the Communist regime, many factories closed down.

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Shot on HD, over four weeks, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this powerful and harrowing documentary focuses on the plight of the children, who we find to be commonly involved in witchcraft, cannibalism and as child soldiers.

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Many legends surround the Arbroath Smokie, which alongside the town's Abbey ensure that Arbroath remains a draw for thousands of tourists every year. The History of the Smokie is a beautifully shot and scored insight into one of Scotland most ancient delicacies.
 

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The separatist war in Sri Lanka is responsible for over 60,000 deaths. In that same period of time almost twice as many people committed suicide in Sri Lanka.

This documentary describes the high rate of suicides in rural Sri Lanka and shows that often people harm themselves to communicate their feelings. It looks into the social cultural and religious reasons for this act of self harm.

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For the past 80 years, the infamous Borley Rectory has been known as the most haunted house in England. But was it?

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Look at life around West End theatre, London.

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Imagine being convicted and sentenced to years in prison for a crime you did not commit. Years of your life lost and the only thing in your mind while in prison is to clear your name and prove your innocence. Finally after a long struggle and fight to clear your name you get released back into society, a world that has completely changed and is totally alien to you.

This film touches on some problems encountered by four miscarriages of justice victims after their release and explores the lack of help and support for these victims. Paddy Hill and John McManus also explain the work undertaken at the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation and their dream of building a retreat for the innocent.

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Bo Kata, loosely translated in English means hacked! That is the victory battle cry when kites are eliminated in raging sky duels, sometimes lasting hours.

Filmed entirely in Lahore, Pakistan, over three continuous days, Bo Kata is a rare cinematic documentary treat, depicting uniquely the rooftop kite flyers of Lahore, who have been a traditional part of Pakistan's culture and heritage that has lasted for over 400 years. Their sport is now under threat from a complete ban, after a series of tragic fatalities involving children and motorcyclists, resulting in decapitations and dismemberment from illegal chemically coated strings used to fly the kites.

The documentary highlights a population that is associated with the mysterious art of kite dueling amidst the political backdrop of an impending ban.

Synopsis

Most of the source footage for “Camouflage with White Shirt” is selected from “Man with a Mission”, a TV documentary about Tony Blair. For the first six minutes, image and sound are cut and alternated to create a flicker effect with a rhythmic soundtrack, only snatches of it intelligible.

The second part offsets Blair inspecting troops against Hugh Grant making his famous speech from “Love Actually”. In the third part, Peter Mandelson’s voice is heard praising Blair, against a shot of a wall in Berlin with an anti US/UK slogan painted on it in English.

Synopsis

Described variously as, "a tour de force of Zizek's fascinating interpretations of fine cinematic moments," and "a rare documentary of unabashed intellectual aggression," this collaboration between director Sophie Fiennes and philosopher and public intellectual Slavoj Zizek represents the first film in a trilogy. Fiennes inventive direction places Zizek within the film moments he is analysing. He is "a genuinely interesting thinker" and "Oh what a brilliantly entertaining host Zizek turns out to be." The brings Zizek's post Freudian psychoanalytic interpretations to some of the more celebrated work in the history of cinema, including David Lynch, Tarkovsky and Hitchcock.
Official Selection Sydney Film Festival 2006
Official Selection Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2006
Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2006

Synopsis

For Daniel Cormack, the thought of nailing his colours to the Tory mast is nothing short of horrific. But can this disillusioned Labour voter do the unthinkable and turn Tory?

From swilling port with the pampered Hoorah Henrys of the Oxford University Conservatives, to picking up litter in a muddy field with the gung-ho teenage Tories of the Wirral, to a one-on-one chat with David Cameron himself, Daniel travels the country to find out exactly what it is that modern Conservatives believe and how they see the future of this country.