Sheffield Doc/Fest
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: A Northern Soul
I lived in Hull in the late ‘90s and for one reason or another saw quite a lot of the city. Apart from having the ‘biggest council housing estate in Europe’, it had very little going for it. With a port whose influence is rapidly receding, it’s a city which suffered dreadfully from the loss …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Preview: The Silence of Others
The Spanish Civil War was bitterly contested by the Republicans and Nationalists between 1936 and 1939. It was a bitter and bloody conflict, with atrocities committed on both sides. The Nationalists, led by Francisco Franco, were eventually triumphed. He ran Spain with an iron fist until his death in 1975. Francoist Spain became a right-wing …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Preview: Boys Who Like Girls
Gender-based violence is rife in countless places around the world. It’s shocking that in many cultures, women and girls are considered to be second-class citizens. Whilst men/boys get the opportunities, their lives are strictly governed by expected norms, whether they’re based on religious or social conventions. This is something which is commonplace and affects their …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Preview: The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid
As the saying goes, a man’s home is his castle. And like castles some houses are passed down from generation to generation. However, the fact that you own something doesn’t necessarily mean that it can’t be taken away from you. When big multi-nationals come calling they’re often not asking but telling. There are struggles taking …
Film Festival Preview: Sheffield Doc/Fest 2018
2018 marks the 25th anniversary of Sheffield Doc/Fest, the UK’s leading documentary film festival and one of the biggest in the world. This year’s programme features 37 world premieres, 18 International, 24 European and 70 UK premieres and takes place at various venues across Sheffield between 7-12 June. Along with a great Alternative Realities line-up, …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Radio Kobanî
Documentaries set in the midst of conflict or in former war zones are almost always concerned with the roles of the victors and the vanquished, the soldiers or the survivors. They often neglect those human stories which aren’t just purely about survival, but predominantly re-building lives from the rubble. Radio Kobanî is one such tale. …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: The Departure
Whilst there’s still a distinct gender imbalance in cinema, particularly behind the camera in big budget movies, things are slightly more balanced in documentary film-making. Indeed, the likes of Laura Poitras, Louise Osmond, Barbara Kopple and Amy Berg are amongst the best in the industry. Lana Wilson is a rapidly rising star. Her (co) directorial …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Brimstone & Glory
Documentaries are often stigmatised as being dry, overly-dependent on factual information and nothing more than something you’d watch on TV. Obviously, that opinion is nonsense, but it’s fair to say that some factual films aren’t the most visually appealing. However, there are many documentaries which are absolutely beautiful. Brimstone & Glory falls into this category. …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Icarus
Cycling has always had an iffy reputation in terms of doping, but the admission by Lance Armstrong that he took performance enhancing drugs throughout his career jeopardised the credibility of the sport. There have been several films made about his downfall, but Icarus approaches the scandal from a different angle. Director Bryan Fogel sets out …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Wilders
The last decade has seen a worrying trend in Western politics. The rise in popularity of right wing political parties and politicians culminated with Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in 2016. However, all across Europe there has been huge gains for nationalistic and fascistic groups. Whilst the likes of Marine Le Pen in …