Projects in genres: History

Synopsis

NOW AGAIN is the first filmic interpretation of Marcel Proust's entire novel 'À la recherche du temps perdu'. Part Four encompasses the volumes of THE PRISONER and THE FUGITIVE. Filmmaker Richard Philpott stretches narrative form into rich and varied experimental territories, providing a visual feast and sonic immersion, using AI and unique digital production techniques, to reveal the vast panoramic structure of Proust's great masterwork and provide a 21st century foundation for this timeless 20th century epic.

Synopsis

1750, Bedlam The worst place on Earth. Jack Slack, a bare knuckle carnival boxer, consumed with rage, fights his way in to the pits of hell to rescue his sister, Sarah from a lifetime of incarceration. Soon trapped and imprisoned himself, his rage and skill at fighting are noticed and he is singled out by the masters of the hospital for a special course of treatment. Meanwhile, Jack still has a plan, if he can only keep the madness at bay.

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

In 1497, Prince Richard of Shrewsbury, the youngest of the missing 'Princes in the Tower', faces both his inner demons and the forces of King Henry Tudor during the final days of his conquest for the Throne of England.

Synopsis

Filmmaker Patrick Hough journeys through the haunted landscapes of Ireland, where colonial violence, ecological loss and queer desire remain inscribed in the land. Moving between forests, mountains, archives and cruising grounds, the film traces the extinction of the Irish grey wolf alongside the cultural suppression that followed Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Fragments of history surface through objects and places: a death mask of Oliver Cromwell, medieval myths of werewolves, maps drawn to measure and divide conquered territory, and landscapes where wolves were once hunted to disappearance. These materials are interwoven with contemporary nocturnal scenes of queer gathering and protest, where shame gives way to transformation, pleasure and resistance. Blending essay film, documentary and poetic fiction, LANDSCAPES OF SHAME asks how violence survives in landscapes, language and bodies - and what forms of wildness still remain. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2026

Synopsis

Through animated text, layered sound recordings and reimagined protest songs from the 1947 Egba Market women’s revolt, this immersive work creates a sonic redress to colonial narratives of Nigeria. Official selection BFI London Film Festival 2026

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 1976, there was a call to boycott the Shiraz Arts Festival. Some well-known international artists joined immediately, others reluctantly. “The giants aren’t coming this year,” wrote the Iranian newspaper Kayhan. Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2026 Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2026

Synopsis

Narrated by actress Guslagie Malanda, THE CENTRE CANNOT HOLD is an essay film that explores what it means to exist on an island, as well as the tensions of living in the shadows of French colonialism. Set across a single day and shot on 16mm, the film recalls a speculative relationship to the island of Corsica. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2026

Synopsis

In 1970s London, Simran arrives at Heathrow Airport from Punjab to be married in two weeks. Dressed for the journey, she moves through the warmth and order of the terminal until she is quietly diverted into a secondary corridor. In a calm examination room, procedures are explained to her in a familiar language, framed as routine and voluntary. What follows is a polite, administrative process that determines her right to enter the country. When Simran is allowed to leave, the airport resumes its rhythm. Outside, her future husband waits. Life continues.

Synopsis

Bermuda, April 1968: once again a White US college student is crowned queen of the annual floral pageant, the greatest spectacle on the island home of the Easter Lilly. Hours later a race riot breaks out. The city burns. Across a decade of civil disturbances, encompassing assassinations and the last executions in the British Empire, BERMUDA RIOTS ARE DIFFERENT re-evaluates this contested history with the archival voices of Black Bermudian eyewitnesses. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2026

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.