Rentals
Backed by BFI - Documentaries
Fresh perspectives on familiar themes give a new relevance, as proven by our choice of the best in modern documentaries.
Documentaries can be as lyrical, expressive and experimental as any work of fiction while presenting different ways of seeing. What unites these choices is the themes of place and identity, focusing on the British landscape, its coastline and cities. History also plays a role thanks the expert use of archive footage from Penny Woolcock and Julien Temple.

I Am (Not) a MonsterI Am (Not) a Monster
Documentary201998 mins
In this thought-provoking and playful documentary, ebullient director Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian (Disaster Playground) takes you on a journey to find the origins of knowledge.

Talking about TreesTalking about Trees
Documentary201994 minsDirector: Suhaib Gasmelbari
Beautifully shot documentary about four members of the 'Sudanese Film Club' who decide to revive an old cinema.

HoneylandHoneyland
Documentary201986 minsDirector: Ljubomir Stefanov
When a nomadic family move in and break Honeyland’s basic rule, the last female wild beekeeper in Europe must save the bees and restore natural balance.

Diego MaradonaDiego Maradona
Documentary2019124 minsDirector: Asif Kapadia
The supreme football superstar is the latest subject for acclaimed filmmaker Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna), as he deftly explores the complicated dynamic between Diego the man and Maradona the icon.

Mystify: Michael HutchenceMystify: Michael Hutchence
Documentary2019102 minsDirector: Richard Lowenstein
Capturing his rise to super-stardom and subsequent tragic fall, Mystify gives remarkable insight into INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence and a truth he took to the grave.

Apollo 11Apollo 11
Documentary201993 minsDirector: Todd Douglas Miller
Astonishing documentary about the 1969 lunar mission, crafted from a newly discovered trove of spectacular, pristine 65mm footage.

Generation RevolutionGeneration Revolution
Documentary201672 minsDirector: Usayd Younis
This urgent, impassioned documentary follows a new generation of Black activists as they fight for social and political change in London and beyond.

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and BamiGrace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami
Documentary2017115 minsDirector: Sophie Fiennes
Grace Jones is laid bare in this intimate and electrifying insight into the fascinating world of a pop-cultural phenomenon.

The Hard StopThe Hard Stop
Documentary201586 minsDirector: George Amponsah
The story of Mark Duggan, who was shot and killed in Tottenham in 2011, is brought to the screen in this humane, thought-provoking and topical documentary.

HockneyHockney
Documentary2014108 minsDirector: Randall Wright
A portrait of the beloved British artist, drawing on his own home-movie footage and with revealing contributions from his friends and colleagues.

The Lovers & the DespotThe Lovers & the Despot
Documentary201698 minsDirector: Ross Adam
Discover one of cinema’s strangest stories: a film director and his star are kidnapped by Kim Jong-il to make movies in the world’s weirdest state.

Love Is AllLove Is All
Documentary201474 minsDirector: Kim Longinotto
A hundred years of love and courtship on the silver screen, with music created by celebrated Sheffield singer-songwriter-producer Richard Hawley.

The Man from Mo'WaxThe Man from Mo'Wax
Documentary2017116 minsDirector: Matthew Jones
The exhilarating, no holds-barred story of Mo'Wax records founder James Lavelle, one of the most enigmatic yet influential figures in British music culture.

A Man's StoryA Man's Story
Documentary201098 minsDirector: Varon Bonicos
A documentary charting twelve years in the career of Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng.

The Marvellous Mabel Normand: The Leading Lady of Film ComedyThe Marvellous Mabel Normand: The Leading Lady of Film Comedy
Comedy201878 minsDirector: Mabel Normand
Discover early Hollywood's irrepressible comic pioneer, showcased in this delightful package of short films in which she appears alongside fellow greats Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle and Oliver Hardy.

McQueenMcQueen
Biopic2018111 minsDirector: Ian Bonhôte
In scintillating fashion, this compelling documentary explores the dark dreams that drove the brilliant, lamented designer, Alexander McQueen.

Notes on BlindnessNotes on Blindness
Documentary201587 minsDirector: James Spinney
James Spinney and Peter Middleton's highly original documentary uses cinematic interpretations and textured sound design to express a ‘world beyond sight.’

Self MadeSelf Made
Documentary201084 minsDirector: Gillian Wearing
Artist Gillian Wearing’s ‘documentary’ observes seven people creating (fantasy?) identities in collaboration with a drama teacher. Raw and revealing.

Project Wild ThingProject Wild Thing
Documentary201380 minsDirector: David Bond
Crowning himself as Marketing Director for Nature, a father aims to entice his kids away from TV, toys and technology.

Of Fathers and SonsOf Fathers and Sons
Documentary201799 minsDirector: Talal Derki
Syrian-born filmmaker Talal Derki travels to his homeland where he gains the trust of a radical Islamist family, sharing their daily life for over two years. 2019 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Feature.

RBGRBG
Documentary201899 minsDirector: Julie Cohen
Revelatory documentary on an unexpected hero - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

I Am Not Your NegroI Am Not Your Negro
Documentary201694 minsDirector: Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck’s penetrating and acclaimed documentary reconstructs an unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin, chronicler of America’s Civil Rights Movement.

The Spirit of '45The Spirit of '45
Documentary201295 minsDirector: Ken Loach
Ken Loach's stirring polemical history explores the immense forces that built Britain's Welfare State from the rubble of the Second World War.

Robinson in RuinsRobinson in Ruins
Documentary2010101 minsDirector: Patrick Keiller
The head of a research organisation arranges Robinson’s abandoned research on the English landscape to uncover the origins of capitalist catastrophe.

The Amazing Johnathan DocumentaryThe Amazing Johnathan Documentary
Documentary201991 minsDirector: Benjamin Berman
A fascinating documentary about the famed comic-magician John Edward Szeles as he makes a surprising comeback.

Stockholm My LoveStockholm My Love
Drama201684 minsDirector: Mark Cousins
Neneh Cherry, director Mark Cousins and cinematographer Christopher Doyle's exquisite love song to the Swedish city.

What Is This Film Called Love?What Is This Film Called Love?
Documentary201281 minsDirector: Mark Cousins
Mark Cousins’ cine-essay, inspired by Sergei Eisenstein’s 1930s Mexican odyssey, is a poetic meditation on memory, landscape and walking.

The Big MeltThe Big Melt
Documentary201371 minsDirector: Martin Wallace
Jarvis Cocker and acclaimed director Martin Wallace's feature-length elegy to the men and women who toiled in Sheffield's steelworks is a hymn to Britain's proud industrial past.

XY ChelseaXY Chelsea
Documentary201894 minsDirector: Tim Travers Hawkins
Telling the historic story of whistleblower Chelsea Manning; the journey of her fight for survival and dignity, and her transition from prisoner to a free woman.

Coming OutComing Out
Documentary201864 minsDirector: Denis Parrot
A groundbreaking documentary about saying those few little words that have the power to change your life.

The Confession: Living the War on TerrorThe Confession: Living the War on Terror
Documentary201696 minsDirector: Ashish Ghadiali
A detailed, wide-ranging interview with Moazzam Begg, a British citizen formerly detained at Guantanamo Bay under suspicion of terrorism offenses.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic SoundMaking Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
Documentary201995 minsDirector: Midge Costin
Faders on stun: Hollywood sound editor Midge Costin’s immersive, educational and hugely enjoyable documentary exploring the power of sound in cinema.

Memory: The Origins of AlienMemory: The Origins of Alien
Documentary201993 minsDirector: Alexandre O. Philippe
The untold origin story behind Ridley Scott’s Alien, one of Hollywood’s most beloved and iconic shockers.

Deep WaterDeep Water
Documentary200689 minsDirector: Louise Osmond
Riveting account of the disastrous attempt by novice sailor Donald Crowhurst to compete in a round-the-world, solo yachting race.

MaidenMaiden
Documentary201894 minsDirector: Alex Holmes
The incredible, against-all-odds story of sailor Tracy Edwards, who skippered the first all-female international crew in the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

An Accidental StudioAn Accidental Studio
Documentary201993 minsDirector: Ben Timlett
Charting the rise of one of Britain's most distinctive film companies, HandMade Films, producer of classics such as Life of Brian, The Long Good Friday and Withnail and I.

Jonathan Agassi Saved My LifeJonathan Agassi Saved My Life
Documentary2018106 minsDirector: Tomer Heymann
The private life of a renowned gay porn legend is laid bare in this intimate and insightful documentary.

Dark HorseDark Horse
Documentary201486 minsDirector: Louise Osmond
The inspirational, larger-than-life true story of how a group of friends in a poor mining village took on the elite 'sport of kings' and breed themselves a racehorse.

QT8: The First EightQT8: The First Eight
Documentary2019101 minsDirector: Tara Wood
There will always be blood, brilliance and controversy: the legendary story of Hollywood 's modern genius, Quentin Tarantino.

The Epic of EverestThe Epic of Everest
Non-Fiction192487 minsDirector: J.B.L. Noel
Premiere. A breathtaking and poignant account of the valiant 1924 British assault on the awe-inspiring peak, beautifully restored by the BFI.

Sea SorrowSea Sorrow
Documentary201773 minsDirector: Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave makes her directorial debut with this impassioned documentary about the ongoing refugee crisis.

Fahrenheit 11/9Fahrenheit 11/9
Documentary2018128 minsDirector: Michael Moore
Michael Moore paints a fiery portrait of life in Trump’s America. Populist, provocative and piercingly captivating, this is Moore’s clarion call to action.

The KingmakerThe Kingmaker
Documentary2019101 minsDirector: Lauren Greenfield
The matriarch of the Marcos dynasty hopes to see her maternal delusions validated and political power restored, while Philippine activists fight for transparency and democracy, in this captivating study by Lauren Greenfield.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: CodaRyuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Documentary2017101 minsDirector: Stephen Schible
A graceful, intimate study of a the legendary Japanese musician, composer, actor, writer and activist.