Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

British film icon Michael Caine narrates and stars in 'My Generation', a vivid and inspiring story of his personal journey through 1960s London. Based on personal accounts and stunning archive footage this documentary sees Caine travel back in time to talk to The Beatles, Twiggy, David Bailey, Mary Quant, The Rolling Stones, David Hockney and other star names. The film has been painstakingly assembled over the last six years by Caine working with producer Simon Fuller, writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and director David Batty. Telling the story of the birth of pop culture in London through the eyes of the young Michael Caine, and using carefully intercut audio of Caine's conversations with his co-stars blended with unseen archive material to take the viewer back to the heart of the 1960s. “For the first time in history the young working class stood up for ourselves and said, we’re here, this is our society and we’re not going away!” (Michael Caine) Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2017 - Journey Strand

Synopsis

August 25th 1997 was a date that changed gaming history forever... GoldenEye was released on Nintendo 64. The games legendary 4 player multiplayer ruled the '90s. In 2017 as the 20th Anniversary of the GoldenEye World Championship approaches, the last remaining handful of loyal players prepare to compete on the (former) grandest stage. Ethan is the reigning 19-time GoldenEye world champion, looking to make history by winning his 20th title. Ben, a first time competitor, leaves the safety of his bedroom to face his hero - Ethan, the ‘Golden Child’ of video games. GoldenEye is his whole life and he has a point to prove to his un-supporting family and his own past, which comes back to haunt him...

Synopsis

Looking at how the HIV/AIDS crisis affected the gay community in the UK following the death of Terence Higgins in July 1982. The documentary explores issues such as the rise of HIV infections, poor sex education in schools and why there is still stigma surrounding HIV.

Synopsis

Starting life with nothing other than a need for speed, Sir Frank Williams created one of the world’s best known and loved Formula One racing teams, operating for 40 years and winning nine world championships in the process. But in 1986 a shocking accident left Frank battling to survive and wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life... This documentary tells the story of Frank’s rise to fame and how his family battled to keep him alive and the team afloat after his tragic accident. Featuring heart-pounding racing footage, interviews with much-loved Formula One stars including Sir Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill, and candid accounts of what really went on behind closed doors. An honest, authentic and incredibly revealing portrait of some of the most fascinating personalities in motor sports.

Synopsis

An electrifying journey through the performance, private and public worlds of pop cultural icon Grace Jones. Jones’ bold aesthetic echoes throughout as director Sophie Fiennes creates a powerful cinematic experience, contrasting musical sequences with intimate personal footage and reaching beyond her iconic mask. The film includes unique performances of her iconic hits 'Slave To The Rhythm' and 'Pull Up To The Bumper' as well as more recent autobiographical tracks, 'Williams' Blood', 'This Is' and 'Hurricane'. These personal songs link to the film’s narrative that follows Grace on a holiday road trip across her native Jamaica where the story of her traumatic childhood are uncovered. Her stage is the fixed point to which the film returns, with 'Love Is The Drug' acting like an aria, bringing the film to its final and most touching scenes, including an encounter with French photographer Jean Paul Goude, father of Jones’ son Paulo and creator of her iconic album covers. This is a Grace we have not seen before, someone who reminds us of what it is to dare to be truly alive. In all her apparent contradictions, Grace Jones may appear an exception, but she is also a point of identification: she is the exception that proves the rule. Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2017 - TIFF Docs - World premiere

Synopsis

A short essay film by artist animator, Jessica Ashman. Using animation and recorded interviews of eight other women of colour artists, the film explores navigating the visual art and animation world as a black face in a white space.

Synopsis

A documentary portrait of Braziers Park School of Integrative Social Research (Braziers), the longest-running secular resident community in the UK. Centred upon insights from current residents and members, the film interweaves scenes of daily life with the natural features, architectural characteristics and diverse cultural history of the community. Set in the wider context of sustainable living and the economics of post-capitalism, Intentional Community explores the 'sociobiological' ideas of Braziers' founders, who established the community in 1950 as a social experiment in group co-existence. Today, Braziers continues to explore and live-out ideas of co-existence, collective work and our place in nature. Edited with a layered, non-linear approach, the composite film makes correspondences between the past and present, combing interior and exterior spaces of the gothic manor house with material from Braziers’ archive of photographs, audio recordings and film. Archival footage includes scenes from a 1964 Situationist gathering, attended by writers Alexander Trocchi, Jeff Nuttall, artist John Latham and psychiatrist R.D. Laing. Intentional Community also explores Braziers’ links to the Common Wealth political party, the Order of Woodcraft Chivalry, Kibbo Kift, and Grith Fyrd peace camps, reflecting Braziers’ deep-rooted, progressive social values, educational ideas, ecological awareness and connections to the counterculture.

Synopsis

A group of people, who suffer from a range of mental illnesses, gather together, to work together so that they can heal together.

Synopsis

What happens when the news cameras turn off? 'Another News Story' reveals the action behind the scenes of the news teams tasked with reporting the refugee story as it swept across the Balkans and into Europe at the height of the crisis. In an intimate display of how these two juxtaposed roles coexist in such tragic and unfathomable situations, the film follows through our characters to directly after when the Paris attacks have happened and the news rhetoric has changed against the refugees. Intercutting directly between the broadcast news and our own footage of reports going live, the film presents a unique insight into the news machine. Amid the current widespread popular move to the right and a world of "post truth", this film serves as an eye-opening account of how news is created, and a reminder that for many this was much more than Another News Story.

Synopsis

Dalibor K. lives in Prostjov, has a job painting gardening machinery, makes amateur horror movies and writes angry songs. He is a radical neo-Nazi, although he has never physically assaulted anyone. Approaching 40, he has never had a real relationship, as he still lives with his mother Vra (63). He hates his job, his boss, the Gypsies, refugees, homosexuals, Angela Merkel, spiders and dentists. He hates his life, but he has no idea how to change it. The filmmakers started filming this “portrait of an ordinary Czech neo-Nazi” at the point when Dalibor's mother Vra met Vladimír (47) on Facebook. A former cop from Topol’any, Slovakia, Vladimír also claims to be an active neo-Nazi, one of his favourite lines is that he’d love to “turn gypsies into tarmac”. At first Dalibor is blustered and opposed to his mother “bringing an intruder into his territory”. His attitude changes, however, when he himself meets Jana (29), a married neighbour, on Facebook. Jana takes Dalibor’s mother’s place in helping Dalibor make his videos, but eventually their relationship collapses. The story culminates with Jana’s initiative of bringing the main characters on a trip to the concentration camp in Auschwitz, where Dalibor learns that he has Jewish ancestors... Official Selection Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2017 - World premiere

Synopsis

A Danish woman who is deaf and blind travels to Nepal to meet a woman with her same condition. A story about the beauty and complexity of communication, exploring the boundaries between how we interpret the world and how we perceive ourselves.

Synopsis

The animation was made as a result of an artist’s residency at University of Manchester, and the soundtrack is from voice recordings of interviews by medical humanities researchers at the university. The voices describe sudden and profound changes in people’s lives that alter their perceptions and sense of identity. The animation takes us on a journey through the social, psychological and physiological impact of a life-changing event. It is an intimate portrait of a group of individuals.