Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

Gori, Georgia, the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, becomes the backdrop for the intertwined stories of two women from different generations: die-hard Stalinist Nasi and anti-Stalinist Zhana. Both women, scarred by the loss of their fathers to war, grapple with their contradictory interpretations of history. Their contrasting views expose the absurdities within historical legacies, while the dialectical tensions lead Zhana to confront her adoptive grandmother, Nasi, over her vigorous defiance of the dictator’s memory. It paints a picture of a town in conflict with its own past, holding onto a bygone era, and questioning the very foundations of the cult of Joseph Stalin. As reality erodes, it exposes the illusory worlds we create for comfort amidst challenging realities. Official Selection Hot Docs International Documentary Festival 2024 - World premiere

Synopsis

Filmed during five years of economic, social and political turmoil in the UK, we meet an extraordinary mix of people living in the county of Somerset: travellers, punk rock anarchists, fossil fuel-free communities living in the woods...They live on the edge of society, but as the UK becomes increasingly unstable, their alternative lifestyles start making more sense.

Synopsis

In an age of intersecting political, man-made and ecological disasters, this film is an ode to the sirens of a changing world. Will we hear them in advance? Does an alarm have to be alarming? Official selection MOMA Doc Fortnight 2024 - World premiere

Synopsis

Under two feet of peaty soil in Orkney, lies the only recording of Scottish composer Erland Cooper’s unheard album. In an entirely unique attempt to collaborate with the natural world, it would be an experiment on patience, art and value. Will the tape emerge silent, and does it matter if it does? RECOMPOSING EARTH takes you into the mind of an artist and the magic of the Orkney Islands that inspire him, with a story that reminds of music's importance as an expression of the human condition. With interviews including Paul Weller, producer Marta Salogni and Sir Ian Rankin.

Synopsis

THE CALLERS tells the stories of people who have called England’s oldest LGBTQ+ phone helpline for over 50 years, seeking guidance on everything from where to find the nearest leather bar to how to come out, navigate an open relationship, impress a new lover or mend a broken heart.

Synopsis

Somewhat of a "horse whisperer", Irish-born Hugh MacDermott, a troubled yet determined young man, embarks on a solo journey across Argentina with his horse, Pancho. Struggling with his sexuality and the loss of his brother, he is spurred on through pure grit and determination to succeed, inspired by a string of strange coincidences linking to a beloved childhood book, 'Tschiffely’s Ride'. A journey of self-discovery, grief, endurance and personal growth, Hugh faces unforeseen hardships of all kinds, both mentally and physically, his quest a metaphor for life. With little money and speaking little Spanish, he sleeps on the side of the road, going for days at a time not speaking to a soul aside from his horse. His story unfolds as he battles his way through “The Long Quiet”. Along the way, Hugh encounters a series of characters who shape his life as adopted father figures, and we witness the magical bond between man and horse, and the transformation from boy to man. Guided by the founder of the Long Riders’ Guild, his epic two-year journey emphasises the spiritual outcomes of equestrian travel, his achievement an extreme rarity, with only a handful of long riders in every generation.

Synopsis

For decades, a secret unit in London’s Metropolitan police infiltrated local activist groups and formed romantic relationships with their targets. Now, three women are revisiting scenes from their lives in order to reclaim the narrative, and make sense of what happened. Official Selection Hot Docs Festival 2024 Official Selection DOC NYC Film Festival 2024 Official Selection Dinard Film Festival 2024

Synopsis

A filmmaker sets out on a journey to discover the mother she never knew. Official Selection Visions Du Réel 2025 - World premiere Official Selection Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2025 BAFTA Film Awards 2025 - Nomination - Best British Short Film

Synopsis

We enter the Labyrinth at Richmond Underground station and emerge somewhere very far away. What will we find? The film is compiled from photographs taken in London and Heraklion. When run together, they start to move... This film contains flashing images.

Synopsis

The archival kaleidoscope of NOTES: REMEMBERED AND FOUND presents four generations of women - director/artist Maria Anastassiou’s infant daughter is also present in the lm - circling around, approximating, interrupting, and reconguring the origin story of the family’s displacement during the war in Cyprus 1974. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2024

Synopsis

A film about five different artists navigating through the art industry and speaking about their struggles as artists. They give advice to others who want to go into the art industry, and give them courage to go for it no matter the obstacles they face.

Synopsis

Following a film director's journey from London to Los Angeles to meet a storyboard artist, Janet, who storyboards the journey the director has made to meet her. Searching for movie-worthy encounters, the director pursues epiphanies and main character moments while walking in the canyons and driving on the freeways of the cinematically saturated city. The storyboard sequence is altered when Janet unveils a shocking story of her own. Humorously riddled with digressions, PREVIS is at first an enlightening insight into the mysterious mechanics of movie-making, told through the collaborative dynamic of director and storyboard artist. Official Selection Visions du Réel Festival 2024 - International Medium Length & Short Film Competition