Blu-Ray Review: Frieda
War films tend to focus on the battle. The heroic victory and the courageous feats of bravery. The spirit of defiance. Of determination. They’re often little more than propaganda. Or, on the flipside, the unspeakable evil which makes humans do the most terrible things. It’s rare for a picture to concentrate on the aftermath. The …
Film Review: Clara Sola
The idea of a religious ‘conduit’ has persevered for thousands of years and can be traced back to the time of prophets. Whether this manifests itself in the figure of a ‘holy fool’ or ‘pure vessel’ depends very much of the time and place. While these ‘messengers’ may claim to be the mouthpieces of a …
Blu-Ray Review: Appointment In London
While feckless politicians may invoke the Second World War to whip up self-serving nationalistic fervour, only a moron would want to replicate the spirit of being bombed every night. Countries like to look back at (victorious) conflicts through rose-tinted glasses. Britain is one of the worst offenders. Most films about the period paint a romantic …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: The Joys and Sorrows of Young Yuguo
Obsession is a strange bird. While most people seem to flit in and out of this kind of myopic tunnel vision, for a small minority it never falters. It becomes something which takes over their entire life. Occupies every waking moment. It’s all they can ever think about. A dream that they simply must realise, …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Ithaka
When WikiLeaks published a dossier of leaked intelligence, the Iraqi and Afghani war logs, in 2010, it brought founder Julian Assange into direct conflict with authorities across the world. In the years leading up to this these revelations, the Iceland-based organisation had been releasing documents to partners The Guardian, The New York Times and Der …
Sheffield Doc/Fest: Fashion Reimagined
If the fashion industry was a country, it would be the third biggest polluter behind China and the United States. Just let that sink in for a minute. People want the latest and the best fashions. Clothes are seen as disposable. To be worn and then discarded after a bit of wear and tear. To …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Lyra
The signing of the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998 brought a dark and bloody chapter in Northern Ireland’s history to an end. Offering the promise of a lasting peace for future generations. However, whilst the accord has just about held, the violence never stopped. Indeed, there have subsequently been 160 ‘security-related’ deaths in …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: A Film About Studio Electrophonique
While there are huge issues with the music industry today, especially around the monetisation of streaming services, there’s no doubting it has never been easier to get your music out there. Whether anyone will listen to it is another question entirely, given the overwhelming amount of choice on offer. It’s even relatively cheap and simple …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: The Oil Machine
In 1969, after years of exploration, oil was discovered in the North Sea. The 1970s saw the discovery of the two biggest fields on the UK continental shelf. Clair, which is west of Shetland and Forties, which is east of Aberdeen. This unearthing has driven the UK economy and financial markets in the subsequent decades, …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Delikado
On the face of it, Palawan appears to be the epitome of an island paradise. The archipelago, located at the western reaches of the Philippines, is the home to beautiful rocky coves, clear lakes, a long and luscious coastline and a beautiful verdant interior. While agriculture is the main industry, it has become a popular …