Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

The documentary was made in the wake of the director's own loss of his mother, who in her last days of life received very poor palliative care by the hospital. The film is aimed to raise awareness around palliative care and end of life care, and covers interviews from a number of UK leading experts in palliative care. The film also takes great care not to leave out the story of those directly in receipt of palliative care. Unlike others films on this subject, the director's primary narrative aim is not to have a film about dying but instead have a film that looks at how to live life to the best until those final days. SEARCHING FOR MEANING is a collage of education and thoughtfully blended aspects from what is a heartfelt story of a lady who even in the face of death, continues to demonstrate incredible courage by living life to the max. The director is also himself in receipt of palliative care and it's that emotional connection with the subject matter which is truly apparent in this film.

Synopsis

The compelling story of the Chins, the Chinese Jamaican family behind “Studio 17” a legendary recording studio in downtown Kingston, Jamaica. Studio 17 was at the heart of the music revolution that began after Jamaican independence in 1962. In its prime, artists who recorded there included Bob Marley and the Wailers, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, Carl Malcolm, Jimmy London and many more. But dramatically, during the political turmoil of the late 1970s the Chin family fled to New York and the studio was abandoned. 40 years on, a treasure trove of original studio tapes has been salvaged - revealing unique and stunning recordings from the ‘golden age’ of reggae, many of which were unreleased and have never been heard before. As the tapes are played they give rise to a myriad of wonderful stories and in a highly poignant conclusion, the teenage voice of the late Dennis Brown is beautifully re-recorded with the vocals of a rising teenage star, Holly Stevenson, all magically orchestrated by producer and one time Eurythmics star, Dave Stewart.

Synopsis

Legendary US photographer Jim Marshall's diary of a life in music captures both the volatile man behind the lens and the seismic changes that defined the 1960s. A child of immigrants he battled inner demons and fought his way to become one of the most trusted mavericks, the man with five Leica M4s hanging round his neck. A passion for music led him to capture some of the most iconic figures in music history from the jazz greats to Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and The Rolling Stones. His abrasive but honest approach to his subjects combined with his incredible skill to build trust expanded his portfolio beyond celebrities, documenting key moments in US history and a time of great turbulence. Official Selection SXSW 2019 - 24 Beats Per Second - World premiere

Synopsis

For years Michael avoided seeing his father as he found him a constant reminder of his own possible fate. Now with signs that’s his father’s genetic disease has been passes down to himself, he’s back to help take care of him in his final days.

Synopsis

The future of social housing is threatened by the AC30 Housing Bill. Set in London's East End, a trio of art students are eager to raise awareness about their neighbourhood especially the lives of tenants and people who work on the estate.

Synopsis

In England banger racing isn't just a sport, but a way of life. JUNIOR BANGERS follows 11 year olds Finn and Harley through a cold winter race day in Birmingham. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Thrill Strand - European premiere Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2020 - Documentary Shorts Program - Nominated, Short Film Grand Jury Prize

Synopsis

A short tale on the face of masculinity, portrayed by young men who grow up in inner city environments. Where the iconic ‘screwface’ is more than just an expression, it’s a matter of life and death. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Laugh Strand

Synopsis

Documenting the everyday life of people from a town in Ghana called Jamestown - also known as 'Sodom & Gomorrah’. A place that seems to have fallen by the wayside: brief portraits of the inhabitants reveal a life marked by hopelessness and the struggle to move forward. Official Selection Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2020 - International Competition

Synopsis

A bold and lyrical portrayal of two brothers, David and Sanchez, living on a Hackney council estate in East London. The film combines dance with documetary giving a compelling insight into their family and friendships, the stigmas they face daily and how they process their emotions. Official Selection IDFA 2019 - IDFA Competition for Short Documentary - International premiere

Synopsis

Experimental documentary that recounts a town’s revival of an ancient folk tradition, placing it in contrast to today’s digital technologies.

Synopsis

In 1928 at the age of eleven, Harry Birrell was given his first cine camera. ‘The greatest toy a child could ever receive’ he would say. His obsession with making movies would span the rest of the 20th century, despite the onset of blindness. In love, war and other adventures Harry recorded everything with a wonderfully cinematic eye on thousands upon thousands of feet of high quality 16mm film. From commanding a battalion of Ghurkas in the Indian army at the start of the WWII, to dangerous sorties deep behind enemy lines in Burma at its end; from the ballroom dances of his youth in the 1930s to teaching his children to twist in the 1960s: Harry’s entertaining and errant adventures are filmed with the intimacy of home movies but on the scale of 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Today, his granddaughter Carina, uncovers a lifetime of memories all spliced together in over 400 films, personal diaries (narrated by Richard Madden) and countless photographs that have previously lain undiscovered, along with the many cans of cine film, in rusting metal trunks in a garden shed. It’s one man’s cinematic vision of the 20th Century and his own personal journey through it.

Synopsis

Writer and musician PJ Harvey and award-winning photographer Seamus Murphy hatched a collaboration - seeking first-hand experience of the countries she wanted to write about, Harvey accompanied Murphy on some of his worldwide reporting trips, joining him in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Washington DC. Harvey collected words, Murphy collected images. Back home, the words become poems, songs, then an album, which is recorded in an unprecedented art experiment in Somerset House, London. In a specially constructed room behind one-way glass, the public - all cameras surrendered - are invited to watch the five week process as a live sound-sculpture. Murphy exclusively documents the experiment with the same forensic vision and private access as their travels. By capturing the immediacy of their encounters with the people and places they visited, Murphy shows the humanity at the heart of the work, tracing the sources of the songs, their special metamorphosis into recorded music, and ultimately, cinema. Official Selection Berlinale 2019 - Panorama Dokumente - World premiere