Projects in genres: Biography

Synopsis

Sue died suddenly in 1983, leaving behind three young children. Her son, filmmaker Eamon Bourke, was three and has no memories of his mother. When his father, John, decides to sell their remote cottage in Cumbria, Eamon doesn’t want to let it go, so returns to capture it on film. In the process of clearing the house, Eamon discovers a series of extraordinary cassette tapes recorded by Sue. These cassettes hold the memories Eamon has longed for. Sue’s voice lights up the film. But within the recordings are some devastating moments, including Sue falling ill with hepatitis. The last thing she recorded was her and Eamon singing together. Then another tape is discovered, broken and with a severed reel. Eamon repairs this cassette, revealing a heartbreaking recording that transports him back to the epicentre of the tragedy. Through interviews with his family members, alongside land art, animation and music, THE SOLWAY explores the trauma of losing a parent in early childhood and how the ripples of this grief linger into later life. Set amongst the cinematic beauty of the Lake District, this film has a rare magic to it and offers audiences a space to contemplate their own grief.

Synopsis

An intimate observation of Rainbow Mbuangi, a key player for Merseyside Blind Football Club. The film embeds itself within Mbuangi's daily life, documenting the structured routines, intensive training, and social world that orbit his athletic pursuits. Through a rigorous focus on sound - both the necessities of his off-field navigational aids and the specialized, rattling 'soundball' used in the game - the documentary explores the complex relationship between dependence and autonomy. On the pitch, where he is fully reliant on auditory cues, Mbuangi challenges conventional notions of athletic space and visual interpretation.

Synopsis

A couple affected by the contaminated blood scandal face a difficult decision when an offer of life-saving treatment threatens their dreams for the future. Official Selection Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival 2024 - World Premiere Official Selection HollyShorts Film Festival 2024

Synopsis

Structured as a series of classes in cultural organising, this film reconstructs the life of a woman whose literary works and film collaborations became a catalysing force in 20th century political movements. Toni Morrison, Nikky Finney and filmmaker Haile Gerima are among those who testify to Bambara's humour, fierce commitment to collective action and gift for galvanising artists into community work. Official Selection DOC NYC 2025 - World premiere Official SelectionTrue/False Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - European premiere

Synopsis

Finding beauty in the ordinary, Liverpool takes centre stage in this year-in-the-life documentary portrait. ​ Communities and voices are observed from a fresh perspective as the city navigates through an eventful year. Mirroring the ebb and flow of the River Mersey, LIVERPOOL STORY is an intimate document of daily life, observing the city and its people over the passing seasons.

Synopsis

Between film screenings across the world, Mark Jenkin muses on cinematic influences, ponders cultural history and reflects upon home. Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2025 - World premiere Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025 - European premiere

Synopsis

2002: At 28, Kate Moss is already the greatest fashion icon of our time. Endlessly watchable, never predictable, always natural and utterly unpretentious. Kate shaped a generation. Yet she still yearns to be seen, truly seen. In a bold move, Kate enters Lucian Freud's studio. Two British cultural titans converge, and Kate bares herself. We are drawn into their world, feeling every brush stroke. Freud's genius explores Kate's hidden depths. Her complexity unfolds. A mesmerizing rapport develops. The wild party scene fades whilst self-discovery takes centre stage. Witness Kate's profound transformation. Freud keeps challenging her. She pushes back. Tension mounts. Truths emerge. Kate finds her voice, her strength, her true self. Kate blossoms from supermodel to eternal muse. This is a journey into the heart of an icon. Feel the real Kate Moss. Vulnerable. Defiant. Reborn. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025 - World premiere Official Selection Rome Film Festival 2025 - International premiere

Synopsis

This film follows the growth of the Afrocentric Black is Beautiful movement of the 60s and 70s through the lens of Kwame Brathwaite, pioneering Harlem photographer and its unsung godfather. Kwame Brathwaite spent his life documenting black American history, photographing and befriending some of its biggest stars over his lifetime. He also founded grassroots fashion shows he called "Naturally" that celebrated natural black beauty and Afrocentrism in a time when it was deemed controversial, and heralded a new dawn for blackness across the globe. Forgotten by history until his son uncovered his vast archive of photos in the 2010s, the film covers the revival of Kwame's legacy in the last few years of his life. Family, friends and artistic admirers championed Kwame's work in a bid to put his name on the map before his passing in 2023. Kwame's story weaves together the story of the black experience, cultural icons and activism, taking a Forrest Gump journey through the biggest names and moments in American culture. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025 - Official Competition - World premiere Official Selection DOC NYC 2025

Synopsis

An evocative virtual reality experience from director Sacha Wares with music by Dan Jones and Evelyn Glennie. For the first seven years of her childhood, American artist Judith Scott shared a bed with the twin sister who adored her. One night, everything changed. This beautiful multi-sensory biography transports you to a sun-kissed 1950’s family home in Ohio, placing you at the heart of Judith Scott’s devastating story of love and separation. Official Selection CPH:DOX 2026

Synopsis

The story of working-class women who, during the 1984–85 Miners' Strike, found themselves at the forefront of a battle against the British state. From Scotland down to Kent, women from the coalfields shed light on their experiences of the year long struggle, and how they became the backbone of the Strike. With many still active today, their actions reshaped the landscape of political activism for working-class women.

Synopsis

Delving into the life of a Palestinian in the UK, separated from a culture and a way of life, this film captures the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity, delivering a powerful statement about the intersection of personal struggle and political conflict and offering hope, challenging narratives, and inspiring solidarity. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025

Synopsis

In Cambodia, former Khmer Rouge child soldier Aki Ra and his wife Hout help communities reclaim their land by undertaking the potentially lethal task of clearing unexploded landmines left over from years of war. Along the way they adopt unwanted kids whose childhoods and limbs have been destroyed by landmines, and open a war museum that soon becomes world famous. Aki Ra fights to break free of shadows cast by his role in the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, and rebuild his shattered family. But in a country grappling to come to terms with its history, the past always has a way of catching up.