Harry Birrell Presents Films of Love and War

Director: Ken Fero, Tariq Mehmood

Year: 2026

In 1981, twelve young Asian men in Bradford faced terrorism charges after defending their community from a violent racist skinhead attack. They made petrol bombs for self-defence. Known as the Bradford 12, by arming themselves, they took direct action to ward off the greater threat of skinhead violence. The state labelled them terrorists, but the people rallied behind the slogan, “Self-defence is no offence.” Their case exposed the intense racial tensions in Britain. Their arrest sparked fierce protests nationally and internationally, with thousands demanding justice for the Bradford 12. The lengthy, tense trial revealed a police force indifferent to racist violence, one that believed discrimination was necessary and had Special Branch surveillance on key defendants. Ultimately, the Bradford 12 were acquitted - a landmark victory affirming the right to organised armed self-defence for oppressed communities. Their courage and solidarity challenged systemic racism and continue to inspire the fight for justice. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2026

Director: Daniel Cook

Year: 2027

An intimate documentary that captures the daily ongoings in the historical fishing village of Gardenstown. At the heart lie Juliet and Bubbles and their eclectic extended family and friends. This film will document their resilience, joy, and profound connection to community in a lyrical exploration of human experiences.

Director: Chris Vile

Year: 2026

Henry Moore beside a pebble. Barbara Hepworth next to broken china. No labels. No velvet ropes. No explanation. Art stripped of its usual deference and curatorial esperanto. Art revealing its true power. Art for all. ‘You want to look at how it is and marvel at the ordinariness of it and the extraordinariness of it all’ (Lubaina Himid) Kettle’s Yard is a small, humble home. Created by a couple, Jim & Helen Ede, who, with little money, became supporters and friends of many of the most important artists of the 20th Century. Jim survived the trenches of the First World War but despaired of a society that could allow such horrors. His is a quiet, very British, revolution that has a powerful resonance today. ‘These fragments that you find all around Kettle’s Yard, they’re almost an equivalent to the fragments of a bomb blast that he’s trying to capture and hold, he’s trying to stop this explosive force of horror and warfare and people fighting’ (Andrew Nairne) Antony Gormley, Edmund de Waal, Cornelia Parker, Ai Weiwei and others, passionately explain why this humble place is so important to them and why Jim’s radical ideas are vital for us today.