Projects in genres: History

Synopsis

Imperial Illusions explores how Britain crafted a myth of benevolent empire to justify domination and exploitation, and how, as the empire collapsed, that myth was replaced with a heroic narrative of victory over fascism. The film investigates what happens when a nation buries the violence of its past, and how that denial continues to shape political, social, and cultural realities today. Through the histories of Kenya, India, and Northern Ireland, the documentary uncovers the lasting impact of suppressed memory and asks what it means for both Britain and its former colonies to confront the truths long left in the shadows.

Synopsis

Sami, a Syrian refugee in the UK, and Bryony, an aimless young librarian, embark on a highly personal quest to preserve a bell from a demolished Christian church. What begins as a civic protest quickly becomes a criminal case when they accidentally near fatally injure a security guard, and find themselves on the run from the police. However, our accidental heroes’ fate is sealed by a kindly police sergeant who is moved by their mission, and our odd-couple achieve their goal of saving the bell and reminding the town they both call home about the importance of remembering its own story.

Synopsis

In the grey rhythms of a 1990s British secondary school, a student begins to sense a discomfort that has no name, just a feeling that the role they’re playing doesn’t quite fit. Through a missing pair of joggers, an unexpected line from Macbeth, and the quiet rituals of uniforms, registers, and school corridors, this film traces the first flickers of identity forming - not through revelation, but recognition.

Synopsis

Edinburgh has a developed network of greenways. One key 60 year old route, The Roseburn Path, is under threat of being significantly transformed into a Tramway. The documentary explores the history, development, social and wellbeing benefits for residents of the path and contrasts the competing needs of development and connectivity.

Synopsis

In 1860s London, three Greek female artists attend a gallery opening, seeking to impress the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Synopsis

Set in the South China Sea during the early 19th century, THE PIRATE QUEEN tells the extraordinary true-inspired story of Cheng Shih, a woman who rose from obscurity to command the largest pirate confederation in recorded history. When her husband dies at sea, Cheng Shih inherits a fragile empire on the brink of collapse. Surrounded by rival captains, internal betrayal, and escalating imperial pressure, she must outmanoeuvre enemies on all sides to keep Red Flag Fleet together. Through strategic brilliance and ruthless restraint, she transforms from an underestimated widow into a leader whose authority rivals the world’s greatest navies. This narrative-driven VR experience places audiences inside Cheng Shih’s ascent to power. Developed over five years in collaboration with historians and cultural advisors, the project draws on extensive research into Qing Dynasty China and British–Chinese relations. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Immersive Competition - World premiere

Synopsis

The alien cosmos of microscopy becomes the setting for a posthumous dialogue: an exploration of the unspoken fallout of the pandemic years.

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In the days leading up to Christmas 1973 three astronauts enacted the first labour strike in outer space. Reconstructed from transcripts in claustrophobic close-up via CCTV system, THE CASE AGAINST SPACE is a real time investigation, dramatically collapsing embodied historical reenactment and speculative essayistic research - forming a collective testimony on struggle amongst the stars, of fights past, present and those yet to come. Official Selection Open City Documentary Festival 2026 Official Selection Visions du Réel 2026

Synopsis

This film follows the Fukushima disaster as it unfolds - minute by minute, from multiple perspectives. From the plant workers risking their lives to avert catastrophe, to survivors escaping devastation, to government officials racing against time to regain control. Leaked conversations between TEPCO and the plant expose panic, deception, and how close Japan came to irreversible devastation. Archival footage reveals the psychology of a nation- gleaming reactors symbolizing prosperity, propaganda videos, even children’s cartoons like Little Plutonium Boy, eerily juxtaposed with Fukushima’s grim reality. Epic, immersive, and definitive, this film blends raw testimony with breathtaking archive footage. Viewers will live through the disaster, experiencing its claustrophobia and terror. Dramatic recreations merge seamlessly with real footage, amplifying tension like a thriller. A ticking clock and rising radiation levels underscore the desperate efforts to contain the accident, while sound design, music, and haunting imagery convey the horror of nature turning against us—earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear fallout. Official Selection CPH DOX 2026

Synopsis

Structured as a psychogeographic voyage, the film explores place, memory, and sensation through the inner life of a poet whose sense of self gradually dissolves into cinematic reflection. Departing from conventional documentary forms, EVERY MOON IS ATROCIOUS invites audiences into a layered sensory environment where image, sound, and language operate associatively. At its core lies the poetry of the late Niall McDevitt (1967-2022), whose work forms the conceptual and emotional spine of the film, shaping a trance-like rhythm that mirrors the protagonist’s journey towards death and the unknown. Yvonne McDevitt’s filmmaking resists separating form from feeling. Dreamlike visuals, intense durational shots, and richly layered sound design prioritise emotional resonance over linear narrative. Fragmented imagery and superimpositions draw viewers into a meditative mode, presenting the film as a cinematic drift that charts inner terrains as much as physical ones. Movement through cities and coastlines becomes inseparable from movement through memory, grief, and desire. Official Selection Dublin International Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Synopsis

Waiting for her husband to return from war, Anne lives a solitary, harsh life on the outskirts of society with her mother-in-law. Their lives are completely disrupted by the sudden appearance of a masked stalker.

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Tracing the evolution of documentary film across time, including seminal international works and hidden treasures, the film reveals how the form has helped us see and make sense of our world. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2026 - World premiere Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Berlinale Special Series - European premiere (episode 1) | World premiere (episodes 2-4) Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Cannes Classics - (episode 'The 1970s') Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 (episode '1960s') Official Selection Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2026 (episode '1980s')