Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

An older couple leave Tehran and return to their idyllic home town on the Turkish border, but their dreams of quiet retirement are shattered by the realisation that their town has become a smuggling gateway into Europe.

Synopsis

Documenting Summer Solstice at Glastonbury Tor in Somerset. For many, Glastonbury Tor is the spiritual and mythological heart of England, acting as both the geographical centrepiece to Arthurian legend and Christianity's arrival into Britain. Shot in 2019, a year in which national divides were embellished by further populist rhetoric surrounding the country's exit from the European Union, A THIN PLACE acts as an alternative catalyst to reflect on dialogues surrounding English nationalism, identity and Romanticism.

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Three Nigerian men are scattered across the globe after escaping homophobic violence.

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The film explores the unlikely relationship that exists between the small seaside town of Swanage in Dorset, and Surrealism. This relationship was formed by visionary English painter Paul Nash who lived in Swanage during the mid to late 1930s. As well as paintings and photographs, Nash recorded his fascination with this particular landscape in a number of essays, which form a major part of this film.

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Across countries and over years, Noura and Machi search for answers – their loved ones have been forcibly disappeared in Syria. With no information to anchor their limbo, hope is the only thing they can hold on to.

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A love letter to the late David Robilliard – a collage of his poems and archive visuals, with a voice-over by Russell Tovey.

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At 75, Roy Andersson is about to make his last film. As with all of his productions, it’s been a long road. The film – ABOUT ENDLESSNESS – will mark the end of a major chapter in cinema. For when Roy stops making films, they will never be made in this way again. Startlingly original - both in content and method - Roy’s work has defied convention and refused all labels. Over the course of a career spanning almost 50 years, he has remained enigmatic and reclusive… until now.

Synopsis

The documentary follows Joey (the titular Busking Joe), as he travels the UK drumming outside of music events in order to save up to buy a tour van and live on the road. Now on the last leg of his quest, he relentlessly travels coast to coast, across the northern borders of the UK, with his end-goal at arms length. All the while, among the ups and downs of the journey, we begin to learn more about the man behind the drum kit.

Synopsis

In 2015 and 2016 the so-called 'migrant crisis' broke within Europe. The consequences are still unfolding today. But what actually happened during those fateful and chaotic months? Shot at five locations on the overland route through Europe, FLIGHT revisits a founding event of our era. Eschewing polemic and hyperbole, the film weaves its music of images to the soaring maqaams of Iraqi saxophonist Amar Alaw, in search of something both more intimate and more universal. Forget about the rhetoric and the headlines. Shorn of subtitles, explanations and commentary, what you will witness in this film you will recognise for yourself, because it is the most basic dream and desperation common to all humanity: to journey on, to survive adversity. To strive for better things.

Synopsis

Abandoned by her parents, Sameem Ali spent six and a half years growing up in a childrens home. When she was told that her family wanted to take her back she couldnt wait to start her new life with them. Instead, she returned to a dirty house where she was subjected to endless chores. Her mother began to beat her and her unhappiness drove her to self-harm. So Sameem was excited when she boarded a plane with her mother to visit Pakistan for the first time. It was only after they arrived in her family's village that she realised she wasnt there on holiday. Aged just thirteen, Sameem was forced to marry a complete stranger. When pregnant, two months later, she was made to return to the UK where she suffered further abuse from her family. After finding true love, Sameem fled the violence at home and escaped to Manchester with her young son. She believed she had put her horrific experiences behind her, but was unprepared for the consequences of violating her family's honour. Honour Me is the shocking true story of Sameem's struggle to break free from her past and fight back against her upbringing.

Synopsis

In patriarchal Nepal, Belmaya, at 21, has given up on finding happiness. An uneducated Dalit, with an oppressive husband and baby daughter, she yearns for freedom. Rewind to 2006, when she was a rebellious teenager living in a girls’ home. Grabbing the chance to learn photography, she wanted to change her world. But the home locked away her camera. I Am Belmaya follows her transformational journey from 2014 as she once again picks up the camera, this time to train as a documentary filmmaker. But are her husband and community ready for this? Struggling against violent opposition, Belmaya makes a personal film, Educate Our Daughters, which wins hearts and awards, taking her to places she never dreamed she would go.

Synopsis

A short observational documentary following the unique and beautiful relationship between a blind woman, Megan, and her guide dog, Layla. The film follows them through a day in their life.