The Mapmaker

Director: Thomas Cochrane

Year: 2011

In the aftermath of World War 1, an expectant bride from a well-to-do family marries her young lover. No happy-ever-after tale this, and The Tenement Ghost draws us swiftly into a sordid world of violence and despair. Yes, it begins well enough, the couple embarking on a grand European honeymoon, but the groom's thirst for alcohol is shortly apparent. Returning to begin their new life together, the bride finds her efforts to nurture the marriage thwarted by her husband's excessive drinking. He dominates the relationship but spirals into alcoholism, his arrogance and self-loathing manifest in physical and emotional violence. Her rapid transition from starry-eyed bride to battered wife is marked by the appearance of a ghostly apparition and, though we are never sure whether this spectre is real or simply a fantasy borne of her brutal situation, its appearances become more frequent as her personality disintegrates. The death of their unborn child pushes her ever closer to the edge of sanity until the ghostly visitor's promptings finally impel her into a last desperate attempt to free herself from torment, bringing the Tenement Ghost to its ghastly and appalling climax.

Director: Sean Mathias

Year: 2026

When two older men cross paths whilst walking their dogs on Hampstead Heath, casual chat about the weather and bad hips slowly gives way to something deeper. As their friendship blossoms into an unexpected romance, they must decide whether to take a chance on love. With sharp humour and touching moments, FRANK AND PERCY is a heartfelt life affirming tale that proves it’s never too late to love again.

Director: Johannes Boesiger

Year: 2026

Judith, an American singer-songwriter struggling with addiction, flees her Jewish relatives' West Bank settlement and finds refuge in Ramallah with Leena, a British-Indian journalist, and Rafiq, a Palestinian photographer. Judith falls in love with Rafiq and reconnects with music through local DJ Amira, but when her grandfather threatens military intervention, Leena escorts Judith to London. Rafiq doesn't follow. Although Judith performs again, her freedom and artistic expression prove fragile.