Recent polls indicate politician and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Barghouti could be elected the next Palestinian president, meaning Israel would be holding a country's leader behind bars. Following what was seen by many as an unlawful arrest and imprisonment, Barghouti has spent his time reading, lobbying and continuing the fight for freedom and peace for his country. A unifying, charismatic character, it’s understandable why his popularity is seen as a threat. Through the eyes of his dedicated wife Fadwa and their family, alongside notable activists and leaders, MARWAN - TOMORROW'S FREEDOM captures the spirit of an indefatigable campaigner for justice and the will of a people fighting for their freedom.
Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2022 - Rebellions - World premiere
We follow Sam Batley a poet/photographer who admitted himself into an abstinence based recovery centre in Liverpool, where he wrote a poem about his young-adulthood of addiction. With the help of the other former addicts at the centre he turns this poem into a short film; throughout the making of this film and the practices of the centre we explore the importance of self-expression, connection and the power of art to heal.
We move through each resident at the house and learn how being introduced to art, sport & culture has given them a sense of purpose and connection. Wayne, at 60's taken up acting after appearing in the film. Darren, in and out of prison, now manages a mental health football team. Zoe runs a fitness and meditation centre for women.
In an impassioned speech at the premiere of the short film we learn what recovery means to Sam, “It brings hope, life and joy, not just for me but for my family too’. We then delve into the spoken-word experimental short film about Sam’s addiction, this brings clarity to the importance of the centre and the connection it brings to its residents, one day at a time.
Štefan Pongo is a Roma lorry driver. Fifteen years ago he emigrated with his family to the UK from the Czech Republic to protect them from racial discrimination.
The children have graduated from universities and the family is doing well. Mission completed. But the echoes of hate carry over from the old country.
When the Czech president claims that the Roma are work-shy, angry Štefan issues an appeal asking for photos of Roma working. Thousands are sent and Štefan becomes a well-known media figure. He produces vlogs, organizes demonstrations and humanitarian aid. He establishes a voluntary agency and fights an online battle with the 'haters'. All which comes at the cost of lost time with the family. Štefan's spirited wife, Iveta, has had enough. Will it be possible to institute some form of harmony in the life of the most famous Roma lorry driver?
Four flatmates share a flat, the Universe is on their laptop. SHAPES is a dark and delirious comedy, a collection of scenes and episodes from a painful everyday life, exploring the idea of sexual repression at the time of social media.
10 year old Stanley lives an isolated life on a farm with his mother, Minnie. One summer day, two strangers arrive on the property. Though a cause for initial apprehension, the visit may bring something Stanley longs for - connection.
For twenty seven years, TS Eliot corresponded with Emily Hale, an American drama teacher, whom he met while studying at Harvard. She was his confidante, his beloved and his inspiration. The letters he wrote her were donated to Princeton University on the agreement, set by Eliot, that they would not be made publicly available until 50 years, after both their deaths. Now, on the centenary of the first publication of Eliot’s epic poem 'The Waste Land', these recently released letters show the important role Hale played in his creative process.
Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2022 - Memories - World premiere
Emi, a young girl with a stomach upset, enters an enchanting microscopic world inside a zebrafish and aids the defenders of her cells to outwit the invading Shigella bacteria. This magic realist film is based on the real life battle of scientists to find solutions to a global health problem.
How does it feel to be free? Best friends Kay and Jenna are reuniting after being separated by prison. But reigniting what they had before isn't straightforward.
Simmy, a modern Punjabi bride has had an arranged marriage. When her new husband, Raj does a runner after the ceremony, Simmy has no choice but to preserve family honour and start a life without her husband in bleak Britain.
As Simmy tries to understand this new world, Harry, Raj’s wayward younger brother turns up from prison for home detention. Harry, condescending towards his new sister-in-law refuses to play by the rules. Both are imprisoned in the old house with Simmy having difficulty speaking English and Harry refusing to speak Punjabi.
Despite her efforts, nothing seems to unite this dysfunctional family, so Simmy unhappily writes a letter home. When Simmy’s distant relatives turnup, Simmy makes a bargain with her mother-in-law: in return for keeping up appearances, Simmy’s passport is returned and she starts nursing training.
An innocent love story unfolds crossing the boundaries of culture and language. As the search for Raj intensifies, Harry breaks curfew and takes Simmy on a romantic trip. Just as Harry finds the courage to tell Simmy how he feels, Raj returns to uphold his wedding vows. Must Simmy be the forgiving Indian wife that her community expects her to be and accept him?
Driving along the motorway, Will loses his sense of scale. As his condition deepens, he struggles to unpick the sequence of events that led to this predicament, before he’s lost forever.
Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2022 - Critics' Week Special Screening - World premiere
Official Selection Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2022
An emotive, intimate film portrait of the life and death of Northern Irish journalist Lyra McKee, who was murdered by dissident Republicans the day before Good Friday, April 2019. Directed by her close friend, documentarian Alison Millar, the film seeks answers to her senseless killing through Lyra’s own work and words. In just 29 years, she rose from working-class roots in the epicentre of war torn Belfast to become an internationally renowned investigative journalist, seeking justice for crimes that had been forgotten amid the euphoria surrounding the 1998 Good Friday Peace agreement. As the voice of her ceasefire generation, Lyra represented hope for a future free of conflict. Her death is another tragic milestone for a country trying to shake off the shackles of its violent past.
Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2022 - Rebellions - UK premiere
The eerie story of twin sisters who were entirely silent, communicating only to each other as children. As teenagers, they became obsessed with writing fiction, then with teenage boys, and finally, with crime.
Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2022 - Un Certain Regard - World premiere
