Tag: Documentary
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An Alternative Academy Awards 2018.
Despite how swept up I get during Award Season, it’s very important to always remember that The Oscars are, at their heart, utterly ridiculous. Part of the joy of this time of year is scoffing at the final selection of nominees and discussing with other cinephiles who and what have been royally snubbed. Here are…
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Gaga: Five Foot Two.
I’ve been a longstanding Gaga fanatic since Fame Monster landed back in 2009, finding myself captivated by her angsty ballads such as Brown Eyes and Speechless. It was an album that defined my last long summer of freedom before heading off to university. When Born This Way arrived two years later I was once again won over by the mainstream singles, meanwhile falling…
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Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami.
An intensely observational documentary, Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami is Sophie Fiennes’ ambitious exploration of the icon and the enigma that is Grace Jones. Combining striking stage performances with more intimate footage of Jones in hotel rooms, dressing rooms and in her native home of Jamaica, Sophie Fiennes’ bold approach to her equally bold subject creates a…
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Whitney: Can I Be Me.
Whitney Houston has been a powerful presence in my life since I was about ten years old. I came to love her music through singing lessons during high school. Although my love of her music has grown into something of a guilty pleasure, my adoration for her talent has remained consistent. Nick Broomfield, turns his…
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Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017: 5 Must See Films.
In just a matter of weeks, the world’s third largest Documentary Film Festival returns to Sheffield for its 24th year. From Friday 9th to Wednesday 14th June, Doc/Fest will take place across the city with a diverse programme of films, public talks, industry sessions, new technologies and virtual reality exhibitions and late night parties. From…
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All This Panic.
Shot over three years, Jenny Gage’s All This Panic is a monumental achievement; a glorious meditation on the awkward and undefined transition between childhood and adulthood. Focussing on the changing lives of a small handful of Brooklyn girls, it is a heartbreakingly nostalgic documentary, which expertly captures those bizarre, minor, authentic details that define the…
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O.J.: Made in America.
This time last year, I was hooked on HBO’s The People vs. O.J. Simpson, despite initially only tuning in to get a peek at John Travolta’s startling transformation for his role. Only vaguely familiar with the legendary trial, which happened when I was only three or four, I found this re-imagining entertaining and engaging but…
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My Favourite Films of 2016.
In comparison to the year before, 2016 has provided me with much easier access to great cinema. With an independent picture house on my doorstep and through my work at Sheffield Doc/Fest, I’ve been able to indulge in a vast array of astounding films, particularly documentary. Two of the hits from Doc/Fest 2016 have made…
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Tickled.
New Zealand journalist David Farrier seeks out the strange and the sensational for a living. He has made a career out of entertainment reporting which often includes interviewing life’s true individuals. He is one of the co-directors of Tickled a documentary funded by a 2014 Kickstarter campaign with the erotic fetish of competitive tickling torture…
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David Brent: Life on the Road.
It’s been over twelve years since David Brent, regional manager at a Slough based paper merchants, was made redundant. It’s been over twelve years since Dawn walked back into the Christmas party and it’s been over twelve years since Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant brought our time spent watching the inner workings of the employees…
Hannah McHaffie 