Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

More than one in three Turkish women have experienced domestic violence and the number of femicides is rising. But some Turkish women are fighting back. Ipek Bozkurt, a courageous lawyer, is determined to challenge this misogynistic violence by putting abusive men behind bars. Working with a group of activists, Ipek is fighting to get justice for two survivors of horrific violence- Arzu, married off at 14 to a farmer ten years her senior and Kubra, a successful and glamorous TV presenter. From very different backgrounds, both were lucky to survive the attacks by their partners. In the middle of these case, Turkey is rocked by an attempted coup that shakes Ipek’s world and puts her in jeopardy. Lawyers start to be threatened by an increasingly repressive government looking to crack down on all opposition. She must fight for democracy while continuing to fight for Kubra and Arzu. Filmed over 5 years, DYING TO DIVORCE takes viewers into the heart of Turkey's gender-based violence crisis and the recent political events that have severely eroded democratic freedoms. Through intimately shot personal stories, the film gives a unique perspective on the struggle to be an independent woman in modern Turkey. Official Selection Hot Docs Festival 2021 - Persister - North American premiere

Synopsis

After fifty years in the business, Mr. David Raven still performs as ‘Maisie Trollette’, Britain’s Oldest Drag Artiste. David’s 85th is fast approaching and a special birthday performance has been arranged. At 87, Walter Cole is The Guinness Book Of Records Oldest Performing Drag Queen in the World and he is flying over from America to meet David for the first time. But professional rivalries soon flare, and as his birthday grows nearer, David must deal with the unique challenges that old age brings. He has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but ever the professional, 'Maisie’ gives the performance of a lifetime as she looks back on half-a-century of entertaining. Featuring classics such as 'Lady is a Tramp’ and 'If I Never Sing Another Song', MAISIE is a heart-warming and often heart-breaking peek into the world of a character more colourful than his gowns. Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2021 - Rhyme and Rhythm

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A documentary about hyper-creative grassroots filmmaker, Neil Nevada.

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In this unfiltered portrait comprised of prose and pirouettes, Marie-Astrid Mence narrates her uncomfortable journey from adolescent to ballerina and her struggles in an industry that fails to see past her skin colour.

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A Black queer elder and a young adult meet for the first time, as they prepare to embark on a journey around their city by the sea. SPACE/ WALK is a joyfully honest exploration of surviving and thriving within an atmosphere that was never designed to support their existence.

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A mixed media piece integrating the stylization of documentary and spoken word. Inspired by Shenny de Los Angeles’ one-woman show “What Happens to Brown Girls Who Never Learn How to Love Themselves Brown?”, this piece invites you to witness the meaning of beauty through three generations of Dominican women. The grandmother, the mother, and the daughter. In learning about the ritual to beauty that was passed down to each woman, there is a pain buried deep in the denial of their blackness. It is only through the secret voice in the water, that the daughter is able to release herself from a pain she’s been holding onto since she was born. By forgiving herself and the women before her, will she finally see just how beautiful she is when she’s free? Official Selection BlackStar Film Festival 2022

Synopsis

TOPOWA! is an inspirational journey of 12 young teacher musicians, many of whom grew up as street children in some of the toughest slums in Uganda. We follow them from their home in Kampala to some of the biggest music stages in the world where they perform with Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis and virtuoso trumpeter Alison Balsom OBE. It's a story of resilience and hope, carried along by a joyous celebration of music and life. At the heart of this film: the power of music to change lives and a charity called Brass for Africa. From the dusty dirt roads of Katwe slum to the paved streets of London and the fields of Cheltenham Festival. We follow Julius, Sumayya, Tadeo, Gilbert and the Brass For Africa band as they are welcomed to the UK for an unforgettable experience that will transform their lives forever and empower the next generation of musicians to follow their dreams - 'Topowa! Never give up!’

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A young man's epic journey across Africa in search of a colonial killer. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2020

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A psycho-acoustic exploration of electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire. "Radio was the most important thing in my life and music, music, music!" A true pioneer in audio exploration and psycho-acoustics, Delia Derbyshire conceived one of the most familiar compositions in science fiction, the Doctor Who theme, while working in a BBC basement. Her soundscapes felt like they connected to another realm. Kicking off with the discovery of 267 tapes in an attic, along with a treasure trove of journals hidden in her childhood bedroom, this film tunes in to Derbyshire’s frequency; that of a life-long non-conformist, whose peals of laughter in an archive interview tickle with delight and eccentricity. Featuring a rich archive, interviews, fictional embodiment and Cosey Fanni Tutti’s psycho-sonic channelling, director Caroline Catz traces acoustic pathways on her archeological dig into Derbyshire’s resonant life. (LFF brochure copy) Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2020 - World premiere

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Confused by graffiti scribbled in a British backstreet demanding "Go Home Polish", a photographer embarks on a thousand mile walk back to his birthplace in search of home.

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In #FollowMe we meet women in or from Iraq, who are using social media to challenge norms and traditions in their country. They risk their lives to promote an empowering image of Arabic women, educating and inspiring their followers. As a consequence of their actions, some of these women are forced to flee Iraq to stay alive. During the making of this documentary, a revolution breaks out in Iraq; the stakes are raised and we embark on a perilous journey with the women as social media becomes their weapon, not only against a deeply repressive and male-dominated society but also against their government. The film experiments with building up an online world discovering their personal stories through Skype conversations and social media platforms. #FollowMe gives a different insight into a world of young Iraqi women that is not widely presented. Additionally, it shows the Iraqi Revolution from a different perspective than that presented by the news.

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Reminiscing an 1980s childhood spent pirating Bollywood VHSs in Wolverhampton, Dawinder Bansal’s plucky narration speaks lovingly of her Asian community and the films that united them. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2020 - World premiere