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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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Big Banana FeetBig Banana Feet

Documentary197678 minsDirector: Murray Grigor and Patrick Higson

Captivating 'lost' record of Billy Connolly on the cusp of international stardom during his 1975 tour of Ireland.

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I Am WeekenderI Am Weekender

Anthology202372 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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Of Time and the CityOf Time and the City

Documentary200874 minsDirector: Terence Davies

Brilliantly mixing archive film and music, Liverpool-born director Terence Davies reflects with wit and wisdom on a times of change, for good or ill

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Vision, Dreams and Magic: The Unmade Films of Michael PowellVision, Dreams and Magic: The Unmade Films of Michael Powell

Short documentary202441 minsDirector: Nic Wassell

Discover the unrealised visions and passion projects of revered British filmmaker Michael Powell, in this fascinating documentary featuring Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker.

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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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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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Werner Herzog: Radical DreamerWerner Herzog: Radical Dreamer

Biopic202490 minsDirector: Thomas von Steinaecker

A riveting and all-encompassing portrait of the iconic German filmmaker.

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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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SCALA!!!SCALA!!!

Documentary202396 minsDirector: Jane Giles and Ali Catterall

Engrossing tribute to London’s legendary Scala cinema, aptly subtitled: Or, the incredibly strange rise and fall of the world’s wildest cinema and how it influenced a mixed-up generation of weirdos and misfits.

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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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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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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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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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Getting It Back: The Story of CymandeGetting It Back: The Story of Cymande

Documentary202290 minsDirector: Tim MacKenzie-Smith

The incredible story of a band you may never have heard of but whose sound has influenced generations with their irresistible rhythms and message of peace.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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