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Documentaries

Documentaries can be as expressive, surreal and experimental as any work of fiction. This collection explores a world made up of people and places.

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Dance CrazeDance Craze

Documentary198189 minsDirector: Joe Massot

Legendary concert film that brilliantly captures the cultural phenomenon that was the 2 Tone movement, and showcases the very best of the British Ska revival.

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Loving HighsmithLoving Highsmith

Documentary202287 minsDirector: Eva Vitija

A beautifully textured study revealing the rich and troubled private life of the writer behind Carol.

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I Am WeekenderI Am Weekender

Documentary202372 minsDirector: Wiz and Chloé Raunet

Groundbreaking 1992 music film Weekender, coupled with Chloé Raunet’s documentary about the making of the film and its enduring impact, offering a unique insight into the heart of acid house.

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Godard CinemaGodard Cinema

Documentary2022101 minsDirector: Cyril Leuthy

Unravelling the vast cinematic contribution and elusive personal mystique of one of cinema's great masters, Jean-Luc Godard.

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Rebel DreadRebel Dread

Biopic202183 minsDirector: William E. Badgley

This is the story of the iconic Don Letts, the coolest cultural polymath – narrated by the man himself.

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Name Me LawandName Me Lawand

Documentary202290 minsDirector: Edward Lovelace

Edward Lovelace explores the power of communication and community with this rapturous portrait of a young deaf Kurdish boy.

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Being Frank: The Chris Sievey StoryBeing Frank: The Chris Sievey Story

Documentary2018101 minsDirector: Steve Sullivan

Frank Sidebottom was a pillar of alternative comedy of the late 80s/early 90s, and this charming documentary remembers the man behind the papier-mâché head.

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Silent LoveSilent Love

Documentary202272 minsDirector: Marek Kozakiewicz

Marek Kozakiewicz’s intimate documentary debut follows Aga, who moves back home to Poland to care for her brother whilst hiding her relationship from the authorities.

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I Am SamuelI Am Samuel

Documentary202068 minsDirector: Pete Murimi

Kenyan couple Samuel and Alex remain committed to each other despite the danger and hardship facing them in Peter Murimi’s moving documentary portrait.

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Being BlackerBeing Blacker

Documentary201889 minsDirector: Molly Dineen

Molly Dineen’s acclaimed documentary about renowned Brixton-based music producer Blacker Dread.

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Lawrence of BelgraviaLawrence of Belgravia

Documentary201285 minsDirector: Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly's stirring and acclaimed character study of enigmatic musician Lawrence (Felt, Denim and Go-Kart Mozart).

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The Gleaners & IThe Gleaners & I

Documentary200079 minsDirector: Agnès Varda

Agnès Varda’s award-winning study of those living on the margins of French society at the turn of the millennium.

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ChemsexChemsex

Documentary201580 minsDirector: William Fairman and Max Gogarty

A hard-hitting and often graphic documentary about the 'chemsex' sub-scene in London’s gay community.

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The Story of Lover's RockThe Story of Lover's Rock

Documentary2011100 minsDirector: Menelik Shabazz

Menelik Shabazz (Burning an Illusion) shines a light on the music genre often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’; a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems.

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Colors of TobiColors of Tobi

Documentary202182 minsDirector: Alexa Bakony

A mesmerising portrait of a family grappling with teenage gender dysphoria, this uplifting documentary exudes the defiant message that love is all you need.

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Dawson City: Frozen TimeDawson City: Frozen Time

Documentary2016121 minsDirector: Bill Morrison

Acclaimed filmmaker Bill Morrison (Decasia) details the incredible story of the rediscovery of over 500 nitrate film prints dating from the early 1900s, preserved in the Yukon permafrost for over 70 years.

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Mifune : The Last SamuraiMifune : The Last Samurai

Documentary201680 minsDirector: Steven Okazaki

The on and off-screen character of Toshiro Mifune, Japan’s first international movie star, is explored in this illuminating documentary exploring the life and legacy of this mercurial icon.

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News From HomeNews From Home

Documentary197689 minsDirector: Chantal Akerman

Chantal Akerman reads letters sent to her from her mother in Belgium, against a tableau of shots of 1970s New York.

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The Ark: Survival of the FittestThe Ark: Survival of the Fittest

Documentary199358 minsDirector: Molly Dineen

Molly Dineen reveals the inner workings of London Zoo as the institution is rocked by uncertainty and change in the first in a BAFTA-winning series of four films.

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The Lie of the LandThe Lie of the Land

Documentary200775 minsDirector: Molly Dineen

As the country clamours for a ban on fox hunting, acclaimed British documentarian Molly Dineen uncovers the unpleasant truths of life in the British countryside in this BAFTA-winning film.

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The Lords' TaleThe Lords' Tale

Documentary200286 minsDirector: Molly Dineen

Molly Dineen’s astute political documentary follows the abolition of hereditary peers and the resulting upheaval in parliament during the New Labour era.

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The Stuart Hall ProjectThe Stuart Hall Project

Documentary201399 minsDirector: John Akomfrah

Composed of film, music and photographs from the archives, a fascinating portrait of the life and times of the founder of cultural studies and the New Left Experience.

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A Syrian Love StoryA Syrian Love Story

Documentary201576 minsDirector: Sean McAllister

The inspiring journey towards freedom of Raghda and Amer, a couple brought together by the turmoil of the Syrian Civil War.

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Way of the MorrisWay of the Morris

Documentary201064 minsDirector: Tim Plester and Rob Curry

Filmmaker Tim Plester's deeply personal journey to reclaim Morris dancing from national joke to one of England's most ancient and enduring roots traditions.

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A Personal Journey... Part 1A Personal Journey... Part 1

Documentary199572 minsDirector: Martin Scorsese and Michael Henry Wilson

The first part of Martin Scorsese's 'personal journey' through American Cinema.

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A Personal Journey… Part 2A Personal Journey… Part 2

Documentary199579 minsDirector: Martin Scorsese and Michael Henry Wilson

The second part of Martin Scorsese's 'personal journey' through American Cinema.

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A Personal Journey… Part 3A Personal Journey… Part 3

Documentary199574 minsDirector: Martin Scorsese and Michael Henry Wilson

The third part of Martin Scorsese's 'personal journey' through American Cinema

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Man With a Movie CameraMan With a Movie Camera

Documentary192967 minsSilentDirector: Dziga Vertov

Dazzling document of Soviet life, by Dziga Vertov, showing a living city and the people and machines that propel it.

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Shoah (First Era)Shoah (First Era)

Documentary1985274 minsDirector: Claude Lanzmann

Claude Lanzmann's monumental chronicle of the Holocaust has been acclaimed by many as the greatest documentary ever made.

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Shoah (Second Era)Shoah (Second Era)

Documentary1985293 minsDirector: Claude Lanzmann

Claude Lanzmann's monumental chronicle of the Holocaust has been acclaimed by many as the greatest documentary ever made.

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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.

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The Great White SilenceThe Great White Silence

Documentary1924107 minsSilentDirector: Herbert G. Ponting

The BFI Archive's restoration of Herbert Ponting's official film record of Captain Scott's tragic expedition to the South Pole, with a new score by Simon Fisher Turner.

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The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver SteinerThe Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

Documentary197546 minsDirector: Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog’s moving portrait of a record-breaking ski jumper.

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LondonLondon

Animation & Artists Moving Image199485 minsDirector: Patrick Keiller

The first in Patrick Keiller’s highly imaginative trilogy of films is a photographic trip through London, recounted by our unseen narrator.

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Land of Silence and DarknessLand of Silence and Darkness

Documentary197185 minsDirector: Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog’s profound and deeply moving documentary about the experiences of a community of deaf-blind people.

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Nighthawks 2: Strip Jack NakedNighthawks 2: Strip Jack Naked

Documentary199191 minsDirector: Ron Peck

Ron Peck’s experimental follow up to the groundbreaking Nighthawks is both a making-of documentary and a deeply personal film memoir.

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GeriGeri

Documentary199991 minsDirector: Molly Dineen

Geri Halliwell, the most colourful and outrageous of the Spice Girls, has dramatically left the band. Two days later acclaimed documentarian, Molly Dineen, joins her in this fascinating glimpse of fame and celebrity.

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A Bagful of FleasA Bagful of Fleas

Documentary196243 minsDirector: Věra Chytilová

Věra Chytilová's 'fictionalised documentary' uses non-actors to portray girls' lives in the cotton mills of Náchod.

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My Nazi LegacyMy Nazi Legacy

Documentary201596 minsDirector: David Evans

What if your father was a Nazi? This is the harrowing question raised in David Evans’ thought-provoking documentary.

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My Voyage to Italy (part one)My Voyage to Italy (part one)

Documentary2001120 minsDirector: Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese’s two-part love letter to Italian cinema is epic and sprawling in scope but also a deeply personal and moving testament to his passion for film.

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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.

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My Voyage to Italy (part two)My Voyage to Italy (part two)

Documentary2001126 minsDirector: Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese’s two-part love letter to Italian cinema is epic and sprawling in scope but also a deeply personal and moving testament to his passion for film.

More documentaries in our Rentals collection

More documentaries in our Molly Dineen collection