The extraordinary story of Paul Downes, a 49-year-old
businessman with bipolar disorder, who in 2009 invited 12
young Ukranian women, some of them part time models, to join
him in a Jamaican castle.
What at first appeared to be an innocent fantasy rapidly
became ever more bewildering as Paul at first invited a
number of women...
Far more than a sports film, The Rivals shows how football
is the crucible in which lessons of class, pride and
perseverance are learned and fought over – lessons that
will last a lifetime. It is a moving story of ‘haves’
versus ‘have-nots’; two towns in Maine that both resent
and respect each other. Rumford...
A snapshot of modern South Africa, Comrades is a vibrant
character study following the journeys of six diverse South
Africans as they train for and run in one of the world's
toughest marathons and the country's most celebrated
sporting event – the historic 90 kilometre Comrades
double-marathon.
Using rarely-seen archive footage from across the twentieth
century, the...
African football currently has more global stars and enjoys
a higher profile than at any other time in history. Football
is a religion in Africa and every youngster dreams of
reaching the English Premier League to become the next
Muntari or Essien. But how exactly does a child kicking a
ball in a rural African...
Our planet is at a pivotal time in history where it faces
many pressing challenges. Nations grapple with a global
environmental crisis, while billions of people remain
trapped by poverty, illiteracy and oppressive rulerships. In
some parts of the world, preventable diseases still claim
the lives of thousands each day.
From this milieu, many remarkable individuals...
Honeymoon in Kabul is an inspirational documentary which
follows newly weds, midwife Maggie Haertsch and clown doctor
Jean Paul Bell, on their whirlwind mission to take medical
aid and humour to the children of Kabul. Maggie and Jean
Paul arrive in Kabul amidst riots and discover that their
precious cargo of advanced medical equipment is...
How to Start a Sex Cult is a powerful and disturbing
observational documentary about a self-appointed 'cult'
leader and his sex slave.
Lee claims to be a leading member of a sex cult called the
Kaotians with, he says, thousands of followers worldwide. He
believes that men are naturally dominant and that women
should serve as...
Jackpot takes viewers inside the strange, compelling,
sometimes hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking world of
hardcore Bingo players. With their cards laid out in front
of them, and their hopes and dreams riding on the next
number out of the machine, these passionate players have
devoted an innumerable amount of money, time, and effort to
the pursuit...
One of the most intriguing developments on the Internet is
the invention of online role-playing, where people from all
corners of the world can come together in a virtual reality.
Second Life is one of these virtual universes, uniting
hundreds of thousands of online gamers. The gamers,
otherwise known as ‘residents’, each create an avatar
through...
The Russians Are Coming lifts the lid on the exclusive world
of super rich Russians who want an English Public School
education for their children. Dina Karpova epitomises the
aspirational and determined Russians who are embracing the
capitalist ethos of the West. A glamorous international
property broker, she capitalises on Russia’s love for all
things English....
In Muslim countries people turn to Sharia, Islamic Law, to
resolve their problems. From a terraced house in East
London, Britain's Sharia Council presides over hundreds of
cases every year. This parallel legal system remains unknown
to many people, yet the court has existed in the UK for over
20 years. This documentary follows the...
Heavy Load is a punk outfit subject to the inflammatory mix
of ego, fantasy and desire that fuels any emerging band. The
band is also, uniquely, made up of musicians with and
without learning disabilities, which makes its survival a
precarious negotiation between two different worlds: on the
one hand the institutional timetable of day...
Traditionally, marriage is 'for richer, for poorer' – but
can a relationship survive the relentless pressure of
mounting debt, unpaid mortgages and credit card bills? Love
and Money: Family Misfortune is a documentary series
following the stories of two families facing the prospect of
financial meltdown. These revealing programmes follow the
couples as they talk candidly...
Sometimes the best way to understand your home is to ask a
newcomer to tell you about it. As much as we may think we
know our own country, you’d be surprised what you learn
when you hear about it from the perspective of an immigrant.
Since North America was built on immigration, people...
Shanghai Living offers an intimate portrait of a city which
is undergoing rapid economical development and considerable
social change. Money, art, sex and poverty are the
ingredients that drive this change. The documentary traces
the day-to-day lives of four very different protagonists: an
artist, a young female prostitute, a self-made billionaire
and a poor shoe-shiner. After...
Four months of music boot camp in Kampala transform a group
of Ugandan orphans into a superb choir. Led by music teacher
Jennifer Banas, the children embark on a road tour of North
America, moving audiences to tears with their emotionally
charged singing and dancing.
This is a film about the transformative power of music...
In the U.S., female juvenile offenders have the fastest
growing rates of incarceration, yet media access to their
stories is extremely limited because they are minors.
However, the Governor of Illinois granted veteran
documentary filmmaker Tod Lending (Nomadic Pictures)
unprecedented access to a female juvenile correctional
facility outside Chicago in order to tell this story.
In...
Commissioned by BBC’s Storyville, this is a documentary
portrait of world acclaimed Malian photographer Malick
Sidibé, and a journey through Malian history inspired by
this man’s iconic images.
Malick’s snapshots from the late ‘50s through to the
early ‘70s capture the carefree spirit of the youth. At
they time they were asserting their freedom in...
An award winning and incredibly touching portrait of a young
boy who finds solace from a bullied school life and broken
home in a world filled with archery, masters, vassals and
the occasional dragon. For 14 year old Colin Taylor, known
to his fellow vassals and master as Drakmar, is a member of
the Kingdom...
No other sport in the world requires that you tape your
racket to your hand – but for wheelchair tennis. Mark
Eccleston is an athlete who has overcome tremendous
adversity – this frank, fearless and often funny film
tells his triumph of the human spirit. He became one of the
world’s leading wheelchair tennis players...
Small Town Gay Bar opens a small world of the gay
communities in the Deep South of America. Homosexuals in
these communities lack the social outlets of their
cosmopolitan brethren. However, in the face of cruelty,
ridicule, and even violence, they manage to find sanctuary
in the only place they are offered within hundreds of...
Deep in the heart of Central Asia lies one of the world’s
most secretive countries – Turkmenistan. Run until
recently by a crazy dictator whose megalomania spawned a
personality cult to rival that of Chairman Mao, this
unlikely desert republic has earned itself a grim reputation
as ‘the North Korea of Central Asia’. But since...
Seven days a week these modern-day wranglers can be found at
the Cedar Lane Stables, fulfilling their mission to pass
down the legacy of the black cowboys to inner city youth.
The documentary leads us to a world on the other side of the
fence where respect for life is taught through horsemanship.
The stories...
Every summer, the usually quiet Serbian town of Guča is
stormed by around 200,000 people making music and dancing
madly to the sound of Serbian and gypsy brass. This film
follows two young trumpet players, Dejan Petrovic and Veljko
Ostojic, who compete for the coveted Golden Trumpet. It also
introduces Boban Markovic (the ‘Godfather of...
John and his boyfriend Douglas Fox run the biggest escort
agency in the North East. Calling themselves an executive
agency, clients pay between £130 and £600 for escorts’
‘time and companionship’. But what do Christony’s
clients get for their money? Is this prostitution under
another name? And if so, how do John and Douglas get...
For over a 100 years the Ugg boot a type of sheepskin boot,
has been a cultural icon sported by sheep-shearers,
‘surfies’ and anyone pottering around the house. Through
a bizarre comedy of errors the ownership of the 'ugg'
trademark passed to an aggressive US corporation. 'The Good,
The Bad and The Ugg Boot' is...
Aphrodite’s Drop dives into the sensuous world of pearls,
uncovering their past and exploring their present – from
their production, symbolism and pleasures, to the hard
knocks of the marketplace. Pearls are a mirror to history
reflecting and determining attitudes of wealth, culture and
social advancement. They have played an instrumental role in
bringing together East...
Jabe Babe – A Heightened Life explores the personal and
medical experiences of 31 year old Jabe Babe, who measures
6ft 2 inches (188cm) and has a life threatening genetic
condition called Marfan Syndrome. Jabe works and lives on
the margins, defying society’s expectations of the
‘normal’ feminine body and sexuality.
Told that she would die...
Traditional education is increasingly challenged by the
arrival of ‘e-learning’, a catch-all phrase that
encompasses almost any form of learning that depends on
electronics.
E-learning is at the heart of ‘e-ducation Without
Borders’, a student-organized movement that is expanding
the boundaries of knowledge through the creation of a
worldwide network of young people who are riding the...
He’s a 43-year-old happily married man and devoted
father. He’s also the transvestite potter from Essex who
won the prestigious British art award, the Turner prize. In
the fine art world, Grayson Perry has two unique selling
points. One is his expressive pottery and the other is
Claire. His transvestite alter ego is a regular...
The Navajo people are the largest Native American nation
and, more than any other Indian nation of North America,
they have maintained their identity and values. Navajo
Springtime recounts their struggle to do this and celebrates
a people proud of its history, proud of its traditions and
proud to exist.
In this intimate and personal portrait, we follow Paul, a
single, straight bus driver of 37, as he undergoes a gender
transition to begin living as a woman called Julia. At first
glance, Paul comes across as a regular, affable and blokey
man with a passion for racing cars and farming, but inside
it is...
The story of two 'half-caste' Aboriginal women – Zita, a
'stolen child', kidnapped and brought up as a 'whitefella',
and her 'aunty' Aggie, a traditional elder. We are given an
insight into their personal histories, and the comparison
between the ways they live. Front and centre is the
controversial question 'Would the stolen generation have
been...
What happens when a bunch of clean living Christians hit the
notorious party island of Ibiza for a summer of love - Jesus
style? 'God Bless Ibiza' follows a team of passionate
young Christian clubbers who spend the summer in Ibiza
trying to bring the love of Jesus to the hedonistic tourists
on Europe's clubbing...
Love for Sale follows the highs and lows of the clients,
girls and madams of two brothels in Nevada. Madam Kitty's
Cathouse and the Moonlight Bunny Ranch are on the outskirts
of Carson City, Nevada - the only state in the US where
prostitution is legal. Schooled in the ar t of a sale,...
A Kosova Australian Boy, Selmon Beha, is beckoned back to
Kosova for his brother’s arranged Muslim wedding. What has
happened to that war-torn country since Selmon was last
there, 16 years ago? Have Selmon’s parents returned to
Kosova to feel more comfortable with their Muslim faith, at
a time when more and more international hysteria...
After graduating from university, Chloe and Dalia move to
Japan to work as hostesses in Tokyo’s infamous red-light
district, making a film of their escapades. They earn good
money to talk, flirt and get drunk with Japanese businessmen
in the same area where English hostess Lucie Blackman was
killed. When Chole's sister Kat comes to...
In the ghettos of New York lies the largest Sunday school in
America. Led by Pastor Bill Wilson and attended by up 20,000
kids a week, its services are far from what we may imagine
Sunday school to be like. This compelling documentary
follows the controversial, maverick preacher who drives
frenetic services which include hip-hop...
This is the extraordinary story of disabled actor Mat Fraser
and his journey into the brutal world of Ultimate Fighting.
Mat has short arms but will not make this disability stop
him. At the age of 41, Mat decides it is time to put himself
on the line and have a competitive fight. The...
This is the story of three white British women that have
decided to convert to Islam. After the terrorist attacks on
the United States, these women could not have chosen a more
difficult time to become Muslims but they are 100% committed
to their cause. The film examines why these women have
chosen to convert...
Being a runway model is every girl's dream… But is it
every boy's? Pretty Boys goes behind-the-scenes of the
catwalks and editorial shoots of male models. This gripping
documentary brings us up close and personal with many
beautiful men and the fashion world that consumes them.
Filmed candidly, it explores the lives of models at
different...
From the perilous origins of Himalayan mountaineering, and
the first expeditions to utilise the unique strengths of the
Sherpa tribe, this fascinating film takes the viewer through
the arduous training programme of the Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute and the extraordinary young women
who strive to become a part of the backbone of modern -day
high-altitude expeditions. Featuring...
Set in Croatia after the Balkan war, The Boy Who Rushed is
the intimate story of a filmmaker searching for her brother
Ivor who went missing whilst in action. Featuring interviews
and footage shot during the war, the film is a personal and
revealing account of how civilians cope. The story unfolds
and after looking...
The celebration of Makar Sankranti in Ahmedabad is more than
just a festival, it is a social phenomenon that reaches deep
into the heart of a city and reveals something profound
about their culture. Every year as the sun enters the star
sign of Capricorn, celebrations in a region of western India
are marked by...
Dhuway is the story about the first land claim in the
history of Queensland and it depicts a history of holocaust,
diaspora, survival and, at last, a homecoming. Generations
ago the Yiidhuwarra people were removed from their native
lands. In 1993, the people presented their case to have
their lands returned. The hearings were emotional...
Jaffa La Mienne is a poignant story of one of the most
beautiful and least known towns of the Mediterranean. The
film treads in the footsteps of the historic families of the
town of Jaffa – the Gargours, the Araktingis – who once
possessed land and orange trees, and who live today in
exile, in...
This award-winning film investigates the allegations of
links between devil worship and heavy rock music. Should
heavy metal music in particular carry a government health
warning?
Recommended by Time Out magazine as 'compulsive viewing'.
Winner of Prix de la Critique & Mention D'Honneur, Jury
International des Journalistes Critics Prize, Prix Danube.
One of the most extraordinary photographers of the twentieth
century, Martin Chambi was a leading figure in the
revolutionary, artistic and social movements that swept
South America in the 1930s. Sixty years on, this film
explores Andean life through Chambi's majestic photographs
and looks at the contemporary relevance of his work.
The Special Prize at the...
