Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £4.99 a month
Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle
Maxine Peake narrates this forthright polemic on the consequences of the 1980s Right-to-Buy scheme on the nation's affordable housing.
Documentary 2017 82 mins
Director: Paul Sng
Overview
Britain's housing crisis is brought into acute focus in this urgent and impassioned documentary, narrated by Maxine Peake. Since the 1980 introduction of the Right-to-Buy scheme, the number of people living in council housing has dramatically declined in the UK. In recent years the issue has risen in prominence as controversial campaigns to demolish large estates have been met with local resistance. Paul Sng's documentary reports from the front-line of these standoffs, as we hear first-hand accounts from estates like London's Cressingham Gardens and Glasgow's Govanhill.
While Sng focuses mainly on the everyday stories of people affected by large-scale gentrification and redevelopment projects, we also hear from prominent political figures such as Nicola Sturgeon and Caroline Lucas. We're left with a vivid portrait of a genuine crisis that goes to the heart of democracy's core values.
mild bad languageRelated
Documentary
Are You Proud? Are You Proud?
Documentary 2018 96 mins Director: Ashley Joiner
Celebratory yet reflective documentary charting the LGBTQ+ movement's momentous journey towards equality.
Back to Berlin Back to Berlin
Documentary 2018 76 mins Director: Catherine Lurie
Riding on their steel steeds, eleven bikers expose their family pasts, as they power through eight countries from Tel Aviv to the infamous 1936 Berlin Olympic stadium, in this compelling and cathartic documentary.
Our New President Our New President
Documentary 2018 78 mins Director: Maxim Pozdorovkin
The Russian media's obsession with the election of Donald Trump is told entirely through clips, in this fascinating essay on news bias, pop culture and the power of images.
From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses
Documentary 2014 114 mins Director: Rüdiger Suchsland
Rüdger Suchsland’s 2014 documentary on the social and cultural impact of German cinema during the Weimar Republic.
Celluloid Man Celluloid Man
Documentary 2012 156 mins Director: Shivendra Singh Dungarpur
A tribute to film archivist and obsessive cinephile P.K. Nair, and his long, hard fight to preserve India's precious film heritage.
The Propaganda Game The Propaganda Game
Documentary 2015 94 mins Director: Álvaro Longoria
Spanish documentary filmmaker Álvaro Longoria is our guide around the most secretive state on earth – North Korea.
British Cinema
London London
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1994 85 mins Director: Patrick Keiller
The first in Patrick Keiller’s highly imaginative trilogy of films is a photographic trip through London, recounted by our unseen narrator.
The Moon over the Alley The Moon over the Alley
Musical 1977 108 mins Director: Joseph Despins
The Moon Over the Alley is a bizarre and compelling musical exploring the problems of multicultural Notting Hill residents in the early 1970s.
Bread Bread
Drama 1971 68 mins Director: Stanley A. Long
A fun tale of hippies and rock and roll directed by the legendary Stanley Long and featuring cult British rock bands Juicy Lucy and Crazy Mabel.
Shell Shell
Drama 2012 87 mins Director: Scott Graham
In a remote part of Scotland, teenager Shell develops an intense relationship with her reclusive father.
My Brother the Devil My Brother the Devil
Drama 2012 107 mins Director: Sally El Hosaini
Sally El Hosaini's feature debut tells of the love and disenchantment of two British-Egyptian brothers. Gangs, drugs and sexuality come between them
Face Face
Crime 1997 101 mins Director: Antonia Bird
Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone are members of a criminal gang that tears itself apart after a heist goes wrong, in Antonia Bird’s stylish thriller.
New
Reaching for the Moon Reaching for the Moon
Biopic 2013 114 mins Director: Bruno Barreto
Beautifully told true story of the love affair between American poet Elizabeth Bishop and Brazilian architect Lola de Macedo Soares.
You and the Night You and the Night
Drama 2013 89 mins Director: Yann Gonzalez
Eric Cantona and Beatrice Dalle star in an outrageous erotic fever dream about a couple who invite four diverse guests to their midnight orgy.
Once Once
Musical 2007 87 mins Director: John Carney
The unique, charming musical about the whirlwind romance between an Irish street musician and a Czech immigrant; winner of an Oscar® and a major prize at Sundance Film Festival.
What We Do in the Shadows What We Do in the Shadows
Comedy 2014 86 mins Director: Taika Waititi
An achingly funny mockumentary about New Zealand’s hitherto unknown vampire (and werewolf) communities, from the creators of Flight of the Conchords.
The Singing Detective The Singing Detective
Comedy 2003 105 mins Director: Keith Gordon
Robert Downey Jr. is at his caustic best in this acerbic adaptation of Dennis Potter's classic serial about a writer tormented by dark visions from his own novels.
Romance & Cigarettes Romance & Cigarettes
Comedy 2005 106 mins Director: John Turturro
James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet star in this tough and untamed musical from cult actor John Turturro.