Sheffield DocFest 2025

<p>That fateful day saw Britain faced with one of its most deadly terror attacks. Fifty-two people were killed and 700 were injured. Twenty years on and with remarkable access to a range of perspectives, this series explores the full 7/7 story: the attacks, the investigation and the reasons how and why the bombings happened. The testimonies of the people caught up in the day&rsquo;s events, from survivors to first responders, are explored alongside new revelations about the bombers: their personal histories and motivations, trips to training camps in Pakistan and their family life. Each thread is woven in detail against a wider political and societal backdrop, to present the definitive account of the events as they unfolded.</p>

<p>Codenamed Cuba and Alaska, two field medics serving on the frontlines of the Ukrainian conflict regard the absurdity of war with a combination of grit, humour and hope. Mostly comprising footage from phones and GoPro cameras attached to their helmets and chests, the film offers rare access to the medics&rsquo; daily lives, their reliance on each other a testament to the camaraderie required to survive in this world. But when one of them is injured and they are separated, the realisation of how despairing the conflict can become gradually sinks in. A raw and powerful film, Cuba &amp; Alaska is an essential reminder of the importance of human connection, especially at a time when hope in the direst of circumstances feels increasingly elusive.</p>

<p>Grenfell: Uncovered is a detailed documentary that traces the events, decisions and systemic failures that led to the devastating 2017 fire in London&rsquo;s Grenfell Tower. Drawing on evidence from the public inquiry, investigative journalism and firsthand testimony from survivors and the grieving, the film lays bare a chain of negligence, regulatory failure and corporate greed. As it meticulously reconstructs the timeline leading up to the fire, the film reveals how a preventable disaster unfolded in plain sight, and how those affected are still seeking truth and accountability. A vital and unflinching call for justice, this film demands we remember and that we change.</p>

<p>With seven Michelin stars to his name, Heston Blumenthal is one the world&rsquo;s greatest chefs. Yet in 2023, Heston started experiencing hallucinations and suicidal thoughts &ndash; his behaviour so extreme that his wife Melanie decided to have him sectioned. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Heston started taking medication that would sap his energy, extinguish his creativity but, crucially, keep him alive. This film follows Heston as he rebuilds his life, tries to understand the role bipolar disorder played in his success and the impact it had on the people he loves. He also explores the woeful state of bipolar care in the UK. With exclusive access to Heston, those closest to him and a wealth of archive, this is a personal and emotional exploration of a serious mental health condition.</p>

<p>A pioneering disco artist&#39;s 1977 anthem becomes a cultural milestone for LGBTQ+ music. Through interviews with music legends, the story unfolds of Archbishop Carl Bean&#39;s groundbreaking impact on queer representation in mainstream culture.</p>

<p>In the 1970s, a group of idealistic Christians, led by firebrand preacher Noel Stanton, attempted to create a heaven on Earth in rural Northamptonshire. With testimony by former members, their children and community Elders, this compelling series traces the story of the Jesus Fellowship from its hippy origins to the high-profile launch of the Jesus Army in the late 1980s, followed by its shocking demise in the 2000s. In parallel to this history, a group of former members undergo specialist post-cult counselling to help them come to terms with their indoctrination. In this first episode, despite suspicious deaths and accusations of a cult forming, nothing seems to weaken Noel Stanton&rsquo;s grip on the community. But then a whistleblower speaks out about the things they&rsquo;ve witnessed.</p>

<p>The 1990 Oka crisis began when the Quebec Government announced plans to expand a golf course that already occupied a segment of Kanien&rsquo;k&eacute;haka, or Mohawk, land. The expansion would severely infringe upon sacred burial ground. In response, the Mohawk community began to obstruct the work and roads leading to the site, in particular across the Mercier Bridge &ndash; a significant artery of the local road system. With the arrival of the police, tensions heightened and a siege unfolded, all of which was captured by Obomsawin. Her film is not just a record of what took place, it became a landmark in a movement that had long seen indigenous peoples in the region subject to prejudice and the whims of bureaucracy. Moreover, the film challenged media representations of indigenous lives, instead presenting a complex, compassionate and powerful portrait of a rich and varied culture.</p>

<p>On 23 October 1984, a BBC News report on the widespread famine in Ethiopia shocked British audiences. Journalist Michael Buerk&rsquo;s coverage of what was unfolding across the country was seen by Bob Geldof, who felt that he needed to do more than watch the devastation on his TV. Along with Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, Geldof sought to galvanize the musicians he knew into action. The result was the 1984 Christmas single &#39;Do They Know It&#39;s Christmas&#39;, followed some six months later by Live Aid. This three-part film charts what took place, with the first part screening at DocFest focussing on that initial report and the response to it. A fascinating account of recent history, it is also an incisive portrait of a movement intended to incite rapid, life-saving change.</p>

<p>LOST FOR WORDS is inspired by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane&#39;s The Lost Words book, created in response to 50 nature words being taken out of the Oxford Youth Dictionary in 2007, such as raven, magpie, otter, adder, acorn... This best seller has had a vast and unexpected impact and was distributed to schools across the UK, adapted for the theatre and even recomposed into music. It is a growing phenomenon that continues to expand worldwide by raising one main question that we, too, reflect on in our documentary: How can we preserve what we can no longer name? This choral documentary gives a voice to children, scientists, artists, the elderly... leading us through the seasons and also letting nature speak for itself as we are brought to question our anthropocentric perspective.</p>

<p>What follows is an exploration of a toxic relationship in a town where ghosts and secrets don&rsquo;t always stay buried.</p>

<p>Our Land seamlessly juxtaposes the two sides of the debate around our access to nature, giving voice to the different perspectives: those fighting for greater access to the countryside and the landowners who claim to be stewards of the land. Blending history with an eye on the future, Our Land charts the conflict, exploring the complex issues of access, custodianship and conservation. Articulately presenting arguments from both sides, the film challenges age-old beliefs around property that have shaped our relationship with the land for over a thousand years. And as the battle for nature continues the film asks the vital question, who truly has the right to roam?</p>

<p>A gripping investigation by journalist James Beal, Deputy Investigations Editor at The Times, into the death of a young man, Tom Parfett, who died by ingesting a lethal poison which he had bought online. The investigation leads to James to partner with bereaved parents across the globe to uncover the identity of an online poison seller, who has since been arrested and accused of sending over 1,000 packages of poison to young people across the globe.</p>

<p>Inspired by lockdown mutual aid initiatives, artist-activists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn decided to turn their street into an energy-generating powerhouse &ndash; a prototype for a new way of living, with the hope of galvanising a wider push towards sustainable alternatives. Directed by the duo, POWER STATION charts their turbulent journey, from pitching the idea to their neighbours and sleeping on the roof of their home to raising finance and launching a bid for a Christmas number one single. By turns funny and heartwarming, Powell and Edelstyn&rsquo;s film is a vibrant portrait of their local neighbourhood, and a charming testament to the power of art in changing minds about what could be possible.</p>

<p>Rock Out explores what space exists for Queer, in a variety of crucial ways, in the uncompromising and deeply masculine worlds of heavy metal, punk, and rock &amp; roll. Excavating the often-veiled queer lives of some of the greatest culture-defining disruptors and masterminds of music in the 1960s and 70s, Rock Out demands to know what unique value &lsquo;gay&rsquo; brought to creating and revolutionising rock, punk, and metal &ndash; from the perspective of managers, producers, artists and fans &ndash; and why those contributions have been left buried for so long.</p>

<p>There&rsquo;s nowhere on Earth quite like Sheffield. Presented by the Yorkshire Film Archive, Sheffield on Film celebrates the proud history and unique cultural identity of the city. From early moving-image pioneers to local filmmakers and regional television news and programming, this specially curated production brings together nine decades of fascinating footage from the vaults. It&rsquo;s a joyous, emotional and impactful cinematic melting pot that showcases Sheffield and its screen heritage; moving from the resilience of a population during wartime, to generations of people at work and play. This premiere event opens a window onto the places, industries, traditions and major events that have impacted the everyday lives of the city&rsquo;s rich and varied populace.</p>

<p>Much like its protagonists, Brad and Janet, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has had a fantastical and surreal journey into the spotlight. It started life in an 85-seat studio space at London&rsquo;s Royal Court Theatre, before being adapted into a breakout cult movie that would become a midnight screening favourite, with a near-fanatical fanbase and a host of rituals, fanzines and spin-off events. Linus O&rsquo;Brien&rsquo;s hugely entertaining directorial debut traces Rocky Horror&rsquo;s journey across the decades, highlighting why it has such staying power. Featuring interviews with creator Richard O&rsquo;Brien, one of the film&rsquo;s stars, Tim Curry, and a host of artists, critics and fans, including Jack Black and Trixie Mattell, Strange Journey is a joyous testament to this 50-year-old classic.</p>

<p>British singer Dylan Holloway, formerly known as Lots Holloway, stepped away from fame during the 2020 lockdown to begin his gender transition. Once a rising star on the UK&rsquo;s X-Factor, Dylan faces a deeply personal and professional crisis &ndash; hormone therapy threatens to permanently alter the voice that built his career. Through candid video diaries, family archives and intimate interviews, the film traces Dylan&rsquo;s childhood, struggles with identity and the emotional cost of living in the public eye. Both a music documentary and a moving portrait of trans experience, Tomorrow&rsquo;s Too Late conveys the bravery of undergoing transformation, wherein the search for an authentic self means risking everything.</p>

<p>Trade Secret follows three unlikely allies on a mission to protect polar bears from international commercial trade. Filmed over six years across nine countries, the film exposes the sanctioned sale of hundreds of polar bears each year on the global market. But as the investigation deepens, it uncovers a disturbing truth: those entrusted with safeguarding the species may be entangled in their continued commercialisation. The film raises urgent questions about how we protect vulnerable species in a world where the lines between protection and exploitation have become blurred.</p>

<p>2009, Brazil. During a news broadcast in the Amazon, a reporter asks a young Indigenous woman what her wish for the future is. The woman,&nbsp;<strong>Juma Xipaia</strong>, smiles and replies, &ldquo;Fighting for the indigenous cause. Standing up for my people, who mean everything to me in this life. I live for them and die for them. My life is going to be one of struggle.&rdquo; Years later, Juma has asserted herself as a determined environmental warrior &mdash; the first female Indigenous chief of her people in the Middle Xingu &mdash; and a fearless advocate against exploitation by landowners and multinational corporations. Having survived six assassination attempts, Juma continues her steadfast commitment to her community and her fight against the seizing of Indigenous lands, as the political landscape in Brazil shifts from Bolsonaro-era suppression to President Lula&rsquo;s progressive environmental battles. The more fiercely outspoken Juma is &mdash; alongside her husband Hugo, a Special Forces Unit ranger &mdash; the starker the socio-political conflict becomes. The courageous Juma and Hugo navigate dangerous circumstances while coming to terms with becoming expecting parents, furthering the stakes for their livelihoods and the livelihood of Indigenous people.&nbsp;</p> <p>From producer&nbsp;<strong>Leonardo DiCaprio</strong>&nbsp;and director&nbsp;<strong>Richard Ladkani</strong>, the riveting&nbsp;<em>YANUNI</em>&nbsp;unfolds like a tense thriller and with remarkable access, as it kinetically showcases the risks that Indigenous activists incur in their fight for sovereignty and environmental justice.&mdash;Jose Rodriguez</p>

<p>Marie-Christine, who lost her sight some years ago, explores life in a strikingly sensory way: through her fingertips. Her personal experiences arouse in her son a curiosity and sense of wonder about the beauty of the universe. Drawing from a constellation of highly textured analogue images, alongside a rich tapestry of sound, Orbits journeys into the sensorial depths of Marie-Christine&#39;s memory, pondering the essence of love and legacy.</p>

<p>Scientists and philosophers encounter the limits of their own vision through the eyes of animals.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Two Japanese indigo dyers embark on a transformative, inner journey: one uncovers the profound meaning within the hues of blue, while the other finds a new way to see through his colorblindness.</p> <p dir="ltr">Driven by the memory of a deep shade of blue he cannot forget, Watanabe dedicates his life to the pursuit of recreating Japan&rsquo;s most perfect shade of indigo. For years he tries to understand the unique alchemy of factors that will bring forth his ideal hue &mdash; but none succeed. Fate introduces him to Kato, a young artisan who is colorblind. Kato too stands at a crossroads&mdash;will he let his condition limit him, or will he use his ability to see color in a way no one else can?&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">As both men embark on their individual, inner journeys &mdash; we witness the deeply personal story of Japan&rsquo;s most famous color, and uncover the emotional and physical transformations that create this shade of blue.</p>

<p>In Igor Smola&rsquo;s speculative eco-doc, the pumpjacks, pipes and coolers that extract oil from the earth seem to speak directly to the viewer, narrating their experiences of harvesting the fuel upon which humans have become so critically dependent. Drawing on the thoughts of philosopher Reza Negarestani, My Name is Oil presents the substance as a metaphysical entity with seemingly mystical qualities, channelling the spirits of the many plants and animals whose decay has facilitated the creation of this apparently miraculous material. Capable of seeing the future, the rig&rsquo;s machinery attempts to alert its human operators to a looming disaster, but caught up in their business &mdash; and distracted by the camera &mdash; the workers whose lives hang in the balance seem unable to tune into their frequency.</p>

<p>On a clear night in Belfast, two workmen and their apprentice work methodically to change the city&rsquo;s streetlights from orange sodium to white LED. Northern Ireland lags behind the rest of the UK on this transformation, reflecting the city&rsquo;s complicated relationship to change. As the night progresses, a city searching for clarity starts to come into focus.</p>

<p>With respect and curiosity, this film follows two central characters: Nannan, a woman with cerebral palsy, and Yao, the founder of a rural disability care facility. After facing discrimination and losing her adoptive mother to suicide, Nannan finds new purpose at the facility. Through rehabilitation activities and helping others, she builds meaningful relationships. Yao&#39;s dedication shows through her interactions with residents, culminating in a memorable trip to the sea. Our Existence is a Miracle authentically portrays the challenges and joys of disabled individuals in rural China &ndash; emphasising a sense of community and resilience. As Yao, the founder of the facility, notes: &lsquo;where there&rsquo;s a will there&rsquo;s a way&rsquo;.</p>

<p>&lsquo;How Now, House?&rsquo; investigates our yearning to leave traces behind through the prism of one house in Rotterdam. Using archives, personal memories and the philosophy of time, the film questions whether a space can ever really belong to one person, or time period, at all.</p>

<p>There are over 550,000 private security guards in South Africa &mdash; more than the combined total of police officers and soldiers in the country. Tuva Bj&ouml;rk takes us on a disturbing journey into the compounds of the rich, observing the security forces who are hired to protect them. With persistent questioning and a knowing gaze, the film slowly dissolves the illusion of security, burrowing into the fragile atmosphere of inequality, paranoia and toxic masculinity that underpins South Africa&rsquo;s security industry.</p>

<p>The Women&#39;s Land Movement emerged in the US in the 1970s, out of an era of radical change. Lesbians from across the United States moved out to wild, untamed landscapes to build a world without men. These communities of women built their homes and developed their unique women&#39;s culture from the ground up. Some women never left. While many of the hundreds of communities across the country disbanded, a few have held on. The remaining inhabitants are mostly in their 70s and 80s, and now face the reality of their own mortality. There is also the question of what happens to these lands - the project they have dedicated their lives to - after they are gone. Beyond Eden follows elders of the women&#39;s land communities in Oregon as they grapple with these questions.</p>

<p>This film is a cry against the erasure of cultures, languages and identities, told with passion and splendour. History forgets and history remembers, in a process that is not neutral. A singular narrative dominates: books are burnt, dissenters are imprisoned and memories fade. But history is not over. Our movements not only send vibrations towards the future, but into the past. Four queer voices speak in striking locations across Scotland, asking us whose bodies moved the wheels of our industry, whose hands placed the stones of our castles and whose fingers made room in the earth for our crops. When the history books don&rsquo;t tell the full story, we look to the land itself.</p>

<p>A room, a Virgin Mary, toothpaste ads, bikinis, the Ecuador-Peru war, Venezuelan soap operas, late-night news, the devil and the sun &mdash; a child innocently discovers cinema. A feverish video mix reflects on Ecuadorian identity at the turn of the century. A mother and her son use the same video tapes to record themselves in parallel timelines, overlapping different impressions of the world. Images from the 1990s reveal to us a world still failing to solve the same old problems.</p>

<p>With charm and dignity, this film follows Antigona, the first and only female bus driver serving a rural community of villages in North Macedonia. Carrying on the work of her father, she drives a van from one remote community to the next, navigating the winding rural roads and a world dominated by men and their opinions. With quiet determination, she embraces this role as community driver; connecting people, caring for those around her, and inadvertently sparking a revolution in how these men see women and how these women see themselves.</p>

<p>Having moved to Sheffield from Somalia at 11, Najma feels like many migrants, who straddle two worlds yet feel disconnected from both. She discovers a short storybook in the Sheffield Library written by Halima, a Somali woman who arrived in the UK in 1956. The information she finds creates a limited and fragmented, but deeply sombre, narrative. A Story Left Behind follows Najma as she tries to fill in the gaps in Halima&#39;s story, exploring the contradictions of what Halima recorded of her life and what she omitted. Through this process, Najma embarks on a journey of self-discovery. With her film, Asma Kabadeh celebrates Sheffield&#39;s vibrant Somali community, while discussing the universal importance of archiving cultural history as an anchor for future generations.</p>

<p>Bird, Bat or Butterfly blends observational realism with quiet magic to tell the story of Darwin, a restless boy in a remote Yucat&aacute;n village. Bored of playing games on his phone, he sets out to uncover the truth behind Shaman Charli&#39;s tales, venturing alone into a forbidden cave. What begins as a simple quest transforms into something more cosmic - a meditation on belief, time and the ancient pulse of the earth. Shot during the 2023 Creators Lab in Mexico, under the guidance of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the film drifts between documentary and fiction, capturing a rare complicity between subject and filmmaker. With a title that hints at metamorphosis, Bird, Bat or Butterfly hovers gently in the unknown, where myth, memory and mystery coexist.</p>

<p>The deep sea is an alien world where sunlight cannot reach. The most inaccessible place on Earth for humans, its secrets are one of our great mysteries. But while we know so little about the depths of the oceans, it knows us. It knows our plastics, which settle in its deepest trenches; it knows our hunger, prospecting for the oil that lies beneath its surface; and it knows our greed, from the scars left by nets that trawl all life on the ocean floor. Caught in the Net is a hypnotic combination of the concrete and the abstract &ndash; blending mesmerising footage captured by scientific researchers that shows the detritus of industry, with the endless poetry of the sea itself. Combining a lyrical sensibility with quiet rage, the film exposes the vast reach of capitalism, reflecting on themes of exploitation, exploration, heritage, decay, care and resistance.</p>

<p>Faith vividly portrays football as a modern religion, embracing its near-sacred significance. The film eloquently and wordlessly explores the deep-rooted connection between the phenomenon of football fandom and Italy&rsquo;s cultural fabric, in doing so drawing striking visual parallels with Catholicism. The film&rsquo;s cohesive style and blue-nuanced colour palette, along with its keen observational eye for peculiar detail, immerses us in the heightened atmosphere of the present. As the director himself notes, &lsquo;in no other place than Naples is the love for the profane so deeply felt that it becomes a cult, to the point that it rises to something much more precious&hellip; something sacred&rsquo;.</p>

<p>Driven by the firm belief that the footnotes of history should not be overlooked or dismissed, filmmaker Xiang Fu is determined to capture the voices that need to be heard &ndash; those at risk of being forgotten as they slowly fade away amidst the noise of the modern world. Haunted by the lingering shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Footnote reflects on the past, listens to the present and questions the future: &lsquo;Will the world ever be the same again?&rsquo;. With an empathetic gaze and a collaborative spirit, this partially performative documentary brilliantly captures the surreal atmosphere of the pandemic and the individual lives that were caught up in this global shock.</p>

<p>This Afrofuturist, queer-forward, hybrid documentary is set in a utopian future where Black and Indigenous ancestors, or &lsquo;past parents&rsquo;, have succeeded in prison abolition after decades of struggle. Celebrating this achievement means understanding the history of the American prison complex and the principles of transformative justice &ndash; investing in healthcare, forgiveness and accountability within community. Mixing archive footage with the voices of contemporary revolutionaries and abolitionist artists from across the US, Space to Breathe teaches us that our battles for a better world are not in vain.</p>

<p>Behind the shop counter, Liu Liu&rsquo;s mother listens to audiotapes to teach herself Hungarian. Bored and frustrated, Liu Liu goes in search of adventure. Exploring this new and foreign land, he encounters a mysterious monster. As he chases &mdash; and is chased &mdash; we follow this spirited battle with the unknown. Both sensitive and playful, Cat Rong Po draws us into the world of a child discovering a new place &mdash; highlighting the magic, humour and wariness inherent in this adventure.</p>

<p>Tingo spends most of his time on the shore near an abandoned dam, desperately trying to catch a giant fish. Convinced that catching it will prove his worth, Tingo becomes obsessed with the idea of ​​facing the mysterious creature, which to many is nothing more than a myth. Tingo will discover that the real battle is not only against nature, but also the shadows of his own mind.</p>

<p>Aki is struggling to continue her lifelong work as a dancer, actress and theatre director, while at the same time caring for her ageing father. As a series of international performances are cancelled, we witness doubts swirling on the surface and a steely resilience within. As life challenges collide with the trials of the creative process, this film is a sensitive contemplation on what we can control in our lives and what remains out of our hands. It&#39;s a film that explores creativity, authenticity and how to keep true to yourself as the years go by.</p>

<p>Alice, a trans woman, finds solace in surfing the waters of Macei&oacute;, Brazil. After losing her father, spurred on by the very real fear of discrimination and violence, she distances herself from the sport that helped her feel closer to him until she finds her community and, ultimately, her peace, a sense of freedom&mdash;and the joy of surfing once again.</p>

<p>For a long time, Jools has dreamed of dancing, but has been held back by a lack of confidence in her own body. Everything changes when she meets Yorrith, a choreographer who had to teach himself to move again after a stroke. Yorrith recognises Jools&rsquo;s inner struggle and challenges her to push her boundaries and embrace what at first seems impossible. Together, they embark on an emotional and vulnerable journey of perseverance. He shows her the power of dancing in her own way &mdash; beyond the judgement of others. Gradually, she discovers that there is no right or wrong way to move. There is simply the joy of dancing.</p>

<p>Through masterful editing and a seamless interplay of sound and image, Catarina Gon&ccedil;alves crafts a timeless cinematic essay on artistic motion. She follows 17-year-old Nina Pinzarrone, Belgium&rsquo;s second-ranked figure skater, as she embarks on the delicate yet relentless pursuit of perfection while preparing for her first World Championships. Gon&ccedil;alves&rsquo; intimate black-and-white cinematography remains devotedly close to her subject, capturing exercises and repetitions that reveal both resilience and vulnerability. The result is an elegant portrait of a talent in the making, and of the unwavering dedication behind every great achievement.</p>

<p>A night of jubilation breaks out in Marseille following Algeria&#39;s victory in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. In the centre of Marseille thousands of people gather to celebrate, rekindling a vibrant connection between Algiers and Marseille. Amidst collective joy, urban tensions and historical echoes, this memorable moment transcends a mere sporting triumph to become an expression of national pride and a complex dialogue with colonial history and the myths of the French Republic.</p>

<p>After fleeing Vietnam for the Philippines, Hoa Thi L&ecirc; and Hue Nguy&ecirc;n Chế recount their experiences as background extras during the filming of Apocalypse Now (1979).</p>

<p>As the sun sinks below the horizon, a long walk with an uncertain outcome begins. Violeta Mora&#39;s intense, immersive Oscurana places the viewer in the shoes of a Central American migrant as they embark on a dangerous attempt to cross the border into North America. The journey is slow, excruciating and hazardous. And as footsteps stumble, breath grows heavy and smoke begins to fill the air, a sense of dread increases. Over the past decade, thousands of deaths and disappearances have been reported along this border. In the context of increasingly hostile anti-immigrant rhetoric in the US, Oscurana offers an empathic and humane insight into those desperate to better their lives but who find themselves lost in this stark landscape.</p>

<p>This multi-generational family profile distills the evolution of cultural and gender identity in an Iranian-Canadian family.</p>

<p>Separated from its herd in the Białowieża Forest, a bison becomes a silent witness to the ecological and humanitarian crises unfolding around it. Through the bison&rsquo;s eyes, Wojciech Węglarz explores the devastating effects of arbitrary national borders and their infrastructure on both humans and nonhumans. Stunning cinematography and meticulous editing evoke a sense of loss, fear and anger, reflecting the broader consequences of political decisions. Bloodline is a haunting and profoundly human meditation on displacement, belonging and the invisible victims of border conflicts.</p>

<p>Three women reflect on their memories of witnessing and supporting the Burnsall Strike, a 1992 workers&#39; resistance movement led by Punjabi women in Smethwick. From within their memories, another voice emerges, one that engages with the domestic and personal. Together, these voices attempt to reconstruct the forgotten wholeness of the lives of South Asian women, against the political and social backdrop of life in the UK.</p>

<p>South African artists Francois Knoetze and Amy Louise Wilson, together with Congolese historian Joe-Yves Salankang Sa-Ngol, trace the trans-continental journey of cobalt: from its violent extraction in the mines of Democratic Republic of Congo to its sale on global stock markets .</p>

<p>From the Mountain We See the Mountain blends haunting imagery and whispered myth to explore a land marked by ecological trauma and the colonial experience. As animals and humans cautiously re-emerge after a forest fire, rumours swirl: was it an accident, an act of nature, or something more insidious? Through eerie nighttime scenes, surreal lighting and interviews lit by the flicker of imagined flames, the film evokes a sense of environmental dystopia and quiet resistance. Balancing elements of myth, sci-fi and thriller, the film conjures a land reckoning with monsters it did not create.</p>

<p><span data-sheets-root="1">As the European Union&rsquo;s green energy ambitions and drive for independence grow, a rural community in Serbia is becoming a political battleground for Europe&rsquo;s electric future. Plans for a massive lithium mine (expected to be one of the largest on the continent) are sparking fierce local resistance.</span></p>

<p>Activist brigades organise a green-fingered resistance against destructive plants and neglected overgrowth around their villages in Galicia. The files they use to sharpen their chainsaws are sourced from a metal factory in Switzerland. Through these two territories, the filmmaker weaves an unexpected narrative - at once personal and political.</p>

<p>Amid the failing counteroffensive, a journalist follows a Ukrainian platoon on their mission to traverse one mile of heavily fortified forest and liberate a strategic village from Russian occupation. But the farther they advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that this war may never end.</p>

<p>A meditative atour of three different, fascinating and distinctive Japanese listening caf&eacute;s that offer an immersive, musical sanctuary amidst the chaotic streets of Tokyo.</p>

<p>Amandine lives in the French coastal town of Calais. At 39, she faces the reality of a terminal cancer diagnosis. As she prepares her family for what lies ahead, she remains full of life, cherishing each moment with gratitude. In the palliative care unit, she encounters Peyo, an extraordinary horse with an innate ability to comfort those nearing the end. Alongside his trainer Hassen, Peyo brings peace to the most fragile patients, and forms an unexpected bond with Amandine. Lyrical yet unsentimental, &Agrave; demain sur la Lune paints a sensuous, profoundly moving portrait of love, loss and, even in the face of death, gratitude for what life has to offer.</p>

<p>Bouba, the owner of a Beirut beauty salon, welcomes clients of all ages to receive their Botox injections. Omar Mismar&rsquo;s film sees in these cosmetic alterations a simple yet effective way to scratch beneath the surface of a city whose own make-up is being transformed &ndash; by the barrage of Israel&rsquo;s aerial attacks. The single-camera set-up captures mundane and funny moments of everyday life, interspersed with conversations ranging from a new TikTok gone viral to recent Israeli attacks on the country. Combining social and political matters with humour and authenticity, A Frown Gone Mad serves as a time capsule of a city attempting to function while under attack. The philosophy of so many is summed up by the wily and wise Bouba: &lsquo;They destroy and we repair.&#39;</p>

<p>Alice calls her mother&rsquo;s work propaganda, but Zhanna believes that she is working for the good of her homeland. As a foreign correspondent for Russian TV she covers the major events in the Western countries from the Kremlin&rsquo;s perspective and she wants to make Alice more Russian. So Zhanna decides to show her the biggest country in the world. Over four summers and one winter, mother and daughter travel across the length and breadth of Putin&rsquo;s Russia. But as their journey unfolds, Zhanna grapples with her past, her secrets, and her identity as both a journalist and a mother&mdash;while the country edges closer to a war. A Little Gray Wolf Will Come is a powerful tale of love, lies, and the loss of homeland.</p>

<p>After Russia&#39;s 2022 invasion, Ryzhykov became a soldier in the Ukrainian army. But he also remained a filmmaker, often carrying both a camera and a gun. Joining the Territorial Defence Forces and given the nickname &lsquo;Canon&rsquo;, Ryzhykov attempts to grapple with military life alongside his comrades, while striving to stay connected with Irina, his young wife. As his experience grows, his perspective shifts &ndash; he is forced to come to terms with the pain of losing fellow soldiers as well as confronting the profound ethical dilemma of documenting war. An intelligent and searching documentary exploring honour, duty and the impact of conflict, A Simple Soldier is also a story of love, friendship and family.</p>

<p>Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, who was born a refugee, has volunteered in war zones across Palestine since the late 1980s. In October 2023, he entered Gaza to work at Al-Shifa and Al-Ahli hospitals during Israel&rsquo;s bombing campaign. Over 43 harrowing days, he performed dozens of amputations, many of them on children, while hospitals were systematically destroyed and medical workers targeted. As food and supplies dwindled, and his own health deteriorated, Dr Abu Sittah was forced to return to the UK. Back home in the UK, he emerges as a powerful witness to the atrocities, bringing his first-hand experiences to the world stage, including the International Court of Justice. A State of Passion tells his story and, in the face of global inaction, articulately conveys the personal and collective trauma endured by the Palestinian population.</p>

<p>Carten&rsquo;s film opens with a recording of a phone call she once made to her uncle, explaining that she had just seen her mother, Nuala, drunk on a bench in Belfast&#39;s city centre. &lsquo;I knew straight away it was Mammy,&rsquo; she tells him, &lsquo;cos of the heels&rsquo;. The film goes on to use phone call recordings and eerily prescient old home movie footage, alongside elements of performance and video installation, to tease out a candid and confronting portrait of a mother-daughter relationship marked by addiction. With a verit&eacute;, handheld style that is often interrupted by the film&#39;s performative sequences (notably when Nuala plays herself), or some disquieting camera angles shot inside the family home, A Want in Her is at once furious and cathartic &ndash; an intricate and intense working-through of trauma and unconditional love.</p>

<p>Kethiwe is piecing together the extraordinary life of her mother, Lauretta Ngcobo &ndash; a rural South African storyteller turned revolutionary, exile and celebrated feminist writer. Through a powerful blend of archival footage, dramatic reenactments and readings from Lauretta&rsquo;s work, the film explores the personal cost of activism and the transformative power of storytelling. From her role as a PAC courier to raising children in exile, Lauretta&rsquo;s life is shaped by South Africa&rsquo;s liberation struggle and her feminist awakening in the UK. The words she wrote became a vessel for memory, defiance and identity. As mother and daughter&rsquo;s narratives intertwine, the film reveals how stories passed down become acts of resistance, resilience and remembrance across generations.</p>

<p>Andre, a brilliant idiot, is dying because he didn&rsquo;t get a colonoscopy. His sobering diagnosis, complete irreverence, and insatiable curiosity, send him on an unexpected journey learning how to die happily and ridiculously without losing his sense of humor.</p>

<p>When does a democracy end and a theocracy begin? Apocalypse in the Tropics investigates Brazil&rsquo;s descent into religious fundamentalism during the Covid-19 pandemic and president Bolsonaro&rsquo;s leadership.</p>

<p>At the age of eleven, factory worker Luo Fuxing found himself catapulted into stardom as the founder of Shamate, a Chinese subcultural movement primarily known for its striking hairstyles. Almost 20 years on, Fuxing makes a living hairdressing in traditional Shamate style and livestreaming himself dancing for his online fanbase. But Fuxing now faces a new challenge: he has been cast in an adaptation of The Water Margin, the Ming dynasty-era novel, at the National Theatre of China. It is his first time acting. Assembly Line Fashionista follows Fuxing over six months, as his navigates his new role and the often-uneasy realities of his adult life, offering a playful and understated mediation on fame, class and image.</p>

<p>Billy Idol Should Be Deadtakes audiences on a raw, riveting ride through one of rock&rsquo;s most iconic rebels. Grammy Award-winner Jonas &Aring;kerlund returns to feature-length documentary filmmaking, pulling back the leather-clad curtain on Billy Idol&rsquo;s meteoric rise from sneering punk provocateur to MTV-era pop superstar. Using never-before-seen archival footage and intimate interviews, the film dives deep into Idol&rsquo;s formative years and the personal chaos that nearly ended it all.</p>

<p>In Folkestone, which refugees attempt to reach from France on a daily basis, tensions are rife. Old traditions die hard, voices struggle to be heard and the notion of British identity is regularly asserted and contested. In the face of mounting pressure, Jessi Gutch sets out to do the unthinkable: seek common ground. Honest conversations with six people, grappling the divisions surrounding race, class and politics, give way to a rumination on how make sense of our present moment, in spite of all the uncertainty and fear. An ode to participatory filmmaking and forging messy friendships in your own backyard, Blue Has No Borders illustrates how spending time with people from all walks of life is in itself an act of hope.</p>

<p>In an Ecuadorian border town, Carmela, a fearless Afro-Ecuadorian, offers food and shelter to Venezuelan migrants arriving on foot. Her home is a hub for a constant flow of people she supports through cross-border trades with Colombia &ndash; frequently by unconventional means. When events unexpectedly impact her, Carmen&rsquo;s resilience is tested, but her bravery in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, combined with an unwillingness to let those in need down, are a testament to her strength and goodness. Strikingly captured in black and white, Esteban Coloma and Luis Herrera&rsquo;s film captures a world defined by hardship and hope. It&rsquo;s a vivid, unforgettable portrait of solidarity in a world where the line between right and wrong is not always clear.</p>

<p>Three generations of Venezuelans, bound by uncertainty amidst a country-wide economic crisis, share their lives of resilience. A lyrical mediation on the themes of loss and hope, and the strength to endure despite the ongoing challenges of daily life.</p>

<p>Comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi creates a personal and political one-woman show about the struggle for equality in Israel/Palestine. When the elusive coexistence she&rsquo;s spent her life working toward starts sounding like a bad joke, she challenges her audiences with hard truths that are no laughing matter.</p>

<p>Genealogy, uncomfortable questions and reams of archival material are Tavares-Abel&rsquo;s tools in discovering the political truths of her family and the Dominican Republic. Election fraud and dictatorship are frighteningly topical. Activism suggests itself.</p>

<p>Two poets, one incurable cancer diagnosis. Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley go on an unexpectedly funny and poignant journey through love, life, and mortality.</p>

<p>In 2017, 41 young girls from a Guatemalan state-run children&#39;s home were killed in a fire when their police guards refused to release them from a locked schoolroom. The event is emblematic of the wider epidemic of gender-based violence in Guatemala, and the spark that drives sisters Lesli and Lupe to action. Told from the perspective of young women who have survived and whose lives have been shaped by violence, the film documents efforts to rally the community to collective protest through art and performance, culminating in a vivid, raucous festival through the streets of Ciudad Peronia. Conveyed through a series of sensitive portraits of girlhood and creativity, Vickie Curtis and Doug Anderson&rsquo;s film is an powerful ode to the plight, power and resilience of girls.</p>

<p>Dreams as motors of human revolution: this is the theory of Sidarta Ribeiro, a Brazilian neuroscientist who has spent 20 years studying the mysteries of dreaming.</p>

<p>As December arrives, many are excited by the upcoming Christmas and year-end celebrations. But for those without shelter, who have no place to call home, it is the cruellest month. Refugees camped in the forests along the Poland-Belarus border remain invisible to much of the world. Grzegorz Paprzycki&rsquo;s film juxtaposes scenes of people preparing for and enjoying the festive season with voices of hatred and hostility, exposing the chilling reality of so much indifference to the refugee crisis. But his primary focus is the refugees whose voices and cries seem to fall on deaf ears and whose presence, an inconvenience for some, is a sad reflection on our wider society. This poignantly beautiful film powerfully summons and confronts the refugee issue, compelling us to truly see it.</p>

<p>In Sheki, a remote town in remote town in Azerbaijan, former footballer Mamed dreams of organising the country&rsquo;s first all-female football team &ndash; a bold idea in a deeply traditional community where early marriage is the norm. The unwavering support of his wife Svetlana notwithstanding, Mamed&rsquo;s vision initially seems impossible. And it&rsquo;s made all the stranger by the presence of two visiting space travellers who appear keen to be involved. As local girls start their training, they face mounting resistance from a society not quite ready to embrace change. But with each practice and every game, a quiet revolution grows. Blending the surreal and the sincere, this warm-hearted story explores the power of dreams, the strength of women and the magic that can happen when the alien and the ordinary collide.</p>

<p>Dreaming of You is a nostalgic, immersive coming-of-age documentary charting the rise of The Coral, six childhood mates from the Wirral who turned suburban misfit energy into musical magic. Set against the backdrop of 1990s Britain, in particular the vibrant music scene in the north of England, the film mixes playful animation, gritty archive, and intimate audio diaries to tell the band&rsquo;s story in their own words. As they escape the sleepy streets of Hoylake for the chaos of the early 2000s indie explosion, their journey captures the thrill and confusion of chasing a dream. With a distinct Britpop-era aesthetic and deep emotional resonance, Dreaming of You is a heartfelt ode to friendship, creativity and the messy pursuit of fame.</p>

<p>An unflinching examination of labour, surveillance and global capitalism, Factory presents a chilling portrait of working life inside technology firm Lenovo&rsquo;s factory in Wuhan during and after the COVID-19 outbreak. The factory, a self-contained world providing accommodation, meals and even mental health support, is also a site of control and forced compliance. Zhou&rsquo;s film confronts the systems that exploit human labour to sate the demands of global consumers. Revealing that health data is used as a tool of surveillance and how methods of efficiency become forms of exploitation, Factory is less a pandemic story than a piercing examination of how authoritarian governance and global supply chains converge. Machines hum and bodies move in endless repetition as the film demands from its viewers the very time the workers are denied. Posing pressing questions about the future of labour, Factory is a haunting reflection on the human cost of international supply chains and the pursuit of endless growth.</p>

<p>Born and raised in Gaza, sound engineer Mohammad has only ever worked in his home country, amassing an extensive audio archive of the place he loves. Now, amid the conflict that has intensified since October 2023, he turns his microphone to the people affected by the conflict. From a cafe stall making drinks and children playing on the playground to a mother giving birth to the sound of artillery fire and the voices of people trapped beneath razed buildings, the visceral moments Mohammad captures highlight the transformation of Gaza&rsquo;s aural environment. Paired with his own ruminations on his work and homeland, Gaza Sound Man is an intimate and urgent impression of everyday life in Palestine.</p>

<p>At Milan&rsquo;s Niguarda public hospital, the unconventional Dr. Bini leads a bold mission overseeing aspiring parents undergoing in vitro fertilization and the journeys of individuals reconciling their bodies with their gender identities. He navigates the constraints set by a conservative government and an aggressive market eager to commodify bodies.</p>

<p>Two intrepid Nairobi women decide to transform what used to be a whites-only library until 1958 into a vibrant cultural hub. Along the way, they must navigate local politics, raise millions for the rebuild, and confront the lingering ghosts of Kenya&rsquo;s colonial past.</p>

<p>Ana Ts&#39;uyeb&rsquo;s film tells the story of three Tsotil women: the filmmaker herself, her mother and her aunt, all of whom have lost loved ones, including young infants, to patriarchal violence. The arrival of the Zapatista movement, which fought for indigenous rights, including land reform and redistribution, in Mexico, brings new hope. With it comes the chance to dream, as the women defend what matters to them most: their land and a life built on freedom and possibility. Ts&#39;uyeb&rsquo;s striking directorial debut is a quiet, lovingly intimate testament to empowerment and the strength of a community that is full of hope for the future.</p>

<p>Gerard Damiano&rsquo;s low-budget 1972 porn film Deep Throat struck a chord with the American populace. Intended as a fringe peepshow entertainment it became a crossover cultural success &ndash; even a talking point amongst middle class professionals. It attracted the ire of moral guardians, faced criminal action and saw its star, Linda Lovelace, initially vilified then held up as an example of the porn film industry&rsquo;s exploitation of women. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato&rsquo;s compelling film charts the film&rsquo;s production, chronicling the lives of the key players and offers an impressive account of the film&rsquo;s history in the aftermath of its initial success. Juggling the attitudes to sex at the time of the film&rsquo;s release with more recent attitudes to and evaluations of pornography, Inside Deep Throat is both thought-provoking and hugely entertaining.</p>

<p>Nima Shirali&rsquo;s subtly humorous film follows a community tucked between Uganda&rsquo;s Katwe Salt Lake and a national park. Through the eyes of an enthusiastic teacher, a jaded caretaker and a sharp-witted mother, the salt lake is seen as a vital lifeline. Between harvests and floods, the lake transforms from a role that is central to local identity and offering a promising industry, to become a symbol of failed development. The low price of salt adds to the woes of toxic labour conditions. And yet, for many in Katwe it remains the only path of opportunity. As a flamboyant, retro-styled local politician pushes grand plans onto a crumbling mine and community, the local population reflects on what the future holds.</p>

<p>The BBC World Service project Life At 50&deg;C found that the number of extremely hot days every year, when the temperature reaches 50 degrees centigrade, has doubled since the 1980s. This returning series tells the stories of people on the frontline of climate change, sometimes made worse by conflict or pollution. Combining character-led stories, visual extremes and journalistic investigation, recent films were from South Sudan, Syria and Colombia. This new feature-length documentary is set in the coal country of Queensland, where life at 50&deg;C is now a reality, but the economy is fuelled by coal mining. It&rsquo;s an intimate portrait of lives inextricably linked to a new mine.</p>

<p>As climate change erases the Louisiana coast, the last two teenagers on Isle de Jean Charles fight to stay on an island that&#39;s been their family home for generations.</p>

<p>In 1987, Marlee Matlin became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award and was thrust into the spotlight at 21 years old. Reflecting on her life in her primary language of American Sign Language, Marlee explores the complexities of what it means to be a trailblazer.</p>

<p>Out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago, a group of friends turn a new sound into a global movement.</p>

<p>As Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, primary schools across Russia&#39;s hinterlands are transformed into recruitment stages for the war. Facing the ethical dilemma of working in a system defined by propaganda and violence, a brave teacher goes undercover to film what&#39;s really happening in his own school.</p>

<p>Ukrainian filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko documents her frontline service in the Volunteer Army through video diaries to her son Theo in France, capturing soldiers&#39; experiences and personal moments during the 2022 Russian invasion.</p>

<p>At an antebellum home in Natchez, Mississippi, a group of older women convene as members of the Natchez Garden Club organization. The charismatic mayor of Natchez, Dan Gibson, arrives and addresses the chatty and enthusiastic women: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited that Natchez is a new Natchez &mdash; one that appreciates and loves our city &mdash; all of it, even the bad, but it is our history. It is also a city that believes in coming together in love &mdash; and if we ever needed it in America, we need it today.&rdquo; This proclamation sets off filmmaker Suzannah Herbert&rsquo;s sharp exploration of the American South&rsquo;s unreconciled history</p>

<p>At the foot of Tepozteco, a sacred hill that governs the winds and fertility, lies the small town of Tepoztl&aacute;n. Against this backdrop, fifteen-year-old Karla&#39;s body and mind are undergoing a revolution. While Karla navigates her transition, Kani shapes eight years of footage into a joyful film, as they handle the vagaries of a rural trans adolescence together.</p>

<p>Having escaped from North Korea to the affluent South, Yujin Han has worked her way up as the CEO of her own matchmaking agency Lovestorya, which sets up new female arrivals from over the border with South Korea men. Using her own marriage as a key selling point for her business, Yujin acts as counsellor, friend and even surrogate family-in-law to her matched couples. However, behind the scenes of her business, Yujin&rsquo;s family life strains under the pressure of work, gradually forcing her to confront some major life choices of her own. Shot over a five-year period, with remarkable access and evocative archival footage, North South Man Woman presents a frank, multi-layered and frequently humorous perspective on the battle of the sexes, which resonates against the wider canvas of estranged twin nations.</p>

<p>Milan&eacute;s, co-founder of the Nueva Trova movement with Silvio Rodr&iacute;guez, was a major voice in Cuba&#39;s revolutionary cultural movement. This film, directed by his adopted son Fabien Pisani, combines interviews with musical luminaries such as Serrat, Chico Buarque, Harry Belafonte and Fito P&aacute;ez, alongside intimate moments of Milan&eacute;s in his final years, looking frail and reflecting on the fading Cuban Utopia. It&rsquo;s a striking cinematic portrait of the artist. As memories of the past surface, so does the broad disillusionment of the singer and his peers, a generation of artists who were once devoted to the Revolution but who now question its legacy.</p>

<p>Meet Meena, Afsara, Bilkis, Rabin and many other remarkable individuals from Kolkata&rsquo;s impoverished Kalighat red-light district. They are part of CAM-ON, a creative community that learns filmmaking through online tutorials. Regularly uploading dynamic visual stories about their lives to YouTube, their work navigates their personal struggles and the challenges of their past. Despite the derision of a deeply conservative society, they remain determined to become filmmakers and actors, attempting to break the cycle of prostitution for the next generation, and survive through the art of cinema. Their ultimate dream is to transform the red-light district into a professional film hub in a post-pandemic world. Redlight to Limelight captures the remarkable power of this collective endeavour.</p>

<p>A Peruvian father and son work to dub &quot;The Lion King&quot; into Quechua, striving to preserve their endangered indigenous language.</p>

<p>This captivating essay film explores the inner-worlds of Syrian contemporary musicians and the world they inhabit, both locally and among a diaspora throughout Europe. Archive footage dives into the country&rsquo;s rich nightlife and music scene, and is enriched by intimate conversations about the culture so many enjoyed. With the fall of the Assad regime, this film is an essential time capsule, exploring through creative storytelling the collective Syrian identity and profound challenges it faces, from the devastating impact of war to mass displacement. As one exiled artist, living in Amsterdam, notes: &lsquo;Not everyone knows what it means [to be Syrian], just like not everyone knows what it means to be Palestinian&rsquo;.</p>

<p>War crimes haunt the residents of Bucha, years after Russian occupation. And yet, among the bodies and rubble, they band together with a determination to carry on. Children rehearse school plays, widows rebuild their houses and couples begin married life even as soldiers return to the front &ndash; perhaps never to return. Nothing can prepare people for life in a society shaped by war and, as time marches on, fissures in communities become increasingly evident. Is democracy strong enough to hold a people together? Following their acclaimed 2022 film When Spring Came to Bucha, Mila Teshaieva and Marcus Lenz continue to trace the city&rsquo;s fight for survival. A tapestry of stories and characters reveal a precarious existence marked by devastation, uncertainty and a longing for peace.</p>

<p>A poetic, character-driven road movie about the indomitable Georgina, a woman in her early seventies who is transgender and a member of the indigenous Way&uacute;u tribe. After decades of solitary exile from her community and forever awaiting the identification she needs to collect food aid, she embarks on a journey across the desert to find the family that rejected her and learn about the challenges facing the tribe as a result of corruption in Colombia. An exceptional and moving portrait about identity, defiance, and joy.</p>

<p>A former pop star, Dene Michael continues to tour small venues around the UK, singing &#39;Agadoo&#39;, his band Black Lace&rsquo;s breakout hit from the 1980s. Once a party anthem, the song still moves people&#39;s hearts and bodies, even if Black Lace&rsquo;s glory days lie in the past. Rather than focusing on that moment in the spotlight, the film takes the form of a road movie, following Michael&rsquo;s daily struggles as he performs, meets fans and dreams of a comeback. Travelling with his mother and partner, the film highlights the fleeting nature of fame, and the ever-changing landscape of British society and cultural tastes. Above all, Michael&#39;s charm and affability shine through, resulting in an entertaining, and ultimately touching, life drama.</p>

<p>In spring 2019, filmmaker Hind Meddeb captures a jubilant moment of defiance among young Sudanese activists in Khartoum after the overthrow of a long dictatorship, and then chronicles the military crackdown that followed.</p>

<p>Filmed over five years, The Alabama Solution is a gripping first-hand investigation into the horrors of Alabama&rsquo;s prison system. With contraband phones as their only tools, incarcerated men risk everything to document rampant abuse, slave-like labour conditions and shocking cover-ups. Co-directed by Andrew Jarecki (Capturing the Friedmans, Catfish) and Charlotte Kaufman, the film follows this hidden resistance movement, from inside prison walls to the grieving families on the outside who seek justice against a broken system. The story begins with a chance encounter at a public BBQ and unravels into a powerful, real-time expos&eacute; of systemic malfeasance. The Alabama Solution is both a devastating indictment of mass incarceration, and a stirring call for accountability and</p>

<p>This beautiful and heart-wrenching story about family, transmission and self-acceptance shows how Treacher Collins Syndrome, a genetic disorder, has prevented Ricardo from pronouncing his own name. His life is one in which he grew up struggling to find his voice &ndash; both literally and figuratively. Through Ricardo&rsquo;s personal journey, from learning how to live with his condition to undergoing multiple surgeries, which in turn led to questions about his own identity, The Broken R is a reminder of how filmmaking can not only be a perfect tool for documenting life, but can be an essential aid in exploring and accepting who we are.</p>

<p>In a country where eligible men greatly outnumber women, three serial bachelors join an intensive seven-day dating camp led by one of China&rsquo;s most sought-after dating coaches, in what may be their last-ditch effort to find love.</p>

<p>As a young boy, Shantha Murthy ran away from home to escape the extreme poverty of his Indian village. He travelled the country in search of work, holding onto the belief that one day his life would change. It did, following a serendipitous encounter with a Texan couple. He travelled to the US, but his American Dream was not to be fulfilled. Karla Murthy&rsquo;s film weaves together home videos and phone conversations recorded during her father&rsquo;s stint as a gas station attendant, while also reflecting on her own identity as a first-generation American. What emerges is an intimate love letter &ndash; a meditation on a complicated father-daughter relationship and a poignant tribute to the immigrant working class.</p>

<p>As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.</p>

<p>The Golden Globe Race is the world&rsquo;s most challenging competition: amateur sailors complete a solo, non-stop, round-the-world yacht race, without assistance or the use of modern technology. Only six people have ever completed the journey, known for its reputation for breaking both boats and spirits. In 2022, 16 competitors set sail, each intent on writing their names in the history books. They include a lone female competitor and a sailor whose last attempt ended with a shattered spine. Alex Craig&rsquo;s film, featuring footage aboard the yachts and in the race&rsquo;s land-based headquarters, thrillingly documents the participant&rsquo;s journeys. It captures them as they navigate violent storms and the threat of shipwreck, all the while embracing a relentless determination to survive and win.</p>

<p>This powerful and timely documentary traces an extraordinary 14 years of diplomatic negotiations that saw Panama reclaim control of the Panama Canal from the US government. Through rare archival footage, insightful interviews and compelling storytelling, director Annie Canavaggio thrillingly recounts the behind-the-scenes efforts of Panama General Omar Torrijos and the international negotiations that culminated in the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Agreements. It&rsquo;s a pivotal chapter in Latin American history, reminding audiences of the political courage and national pride that shaped a nation&rsquo;s destiny. As new global tensions emerge, The Panama Canal Treaties &ndash; Son of Tiger &amp; Mule offers a crucial reflection on notions of sovereignty and resistance, and a reminder of this waterway significance to the global geopolitical map.</p>

<p>A seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalates into deadly violence. Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews expose the consequences of Florida&rsquo;s &ldquo;stand your ground&rdquo; laws.</p>

<p>In 1995, a Louisiana college student discovers a disturbing truth about herself through a textbook, leading to revelations about psychological experiment on twins. Her personal medical records expose lifelong lies from loved ones.</p>

<p>Auchter, a member of the Haida Nation, reconstructs the story of the 1985 stand-off between his community and a major logging company. The resistance, which was rooted in Haida spirituality, blocked the loggers from accessing Lyell Island. Tension increased as police and the media descended on the standoff, transforming the protest into a national flashpoint on Indigenous land rights, environmental protection and justice. While mainstream media framed the conflict around jobs, legality and the economy, the Haida perspective is made clear: their forest land is unceded and must be protected for future generations. An articulate anatomy of a movement, The Stand is an impressive overview of how to build and sustain a protest, engage in debate and remain on the frontline of resistance.</p>

<p>The work of photographers during the Vietnam War exposed the horrors committed against the civilian population to a Western audience largely unaware of the scale of the atrocities. The iconic photograph, The Terror of War, also known as Napalm Girl, was shocking in its depiction of the violence experienced by children, prompting global protests and calls to end the war. But a claim by a former Associated Press photo editor raises doubts over the image&rsquo;s origins. Bao Nguyen&rsquo;s film follows a relentless journey to find the truth, locating a photographer known only as &lsquo;the stringer&rsquo; who claims he took the photo, throwing the AP photographer credit into question. In following this investigation Nguyen&rsquo;s film tackles racial injustice and journalistic ethics as it questions why Vietnamese photographers&rsquo; essential contribution to this conflict have been overlooked in history.</p>

<p>This fully archival journey through the 35 years of Alfredo Stroessner&rsquo;s regime in Paraguay reveals unseen footage and explores one of the longest-running dictatorships in history, whose effects still resonate today.</p>

<p>In late 2021, Chile experienced its most violent anti-immigrant protest, sparked by an unprecedented influx of migrants from Venezuela. This evocative cinematic experience examines contrasting perspectives around the migrant crisis that is driving anger and violence towards the migrants.</p>

<p>Katya, a fiercely independent young welder, embarks on a raw and emotional journey to reconnect with her estranged family. Haunted by a traumatic childhood, Katya unexpectedly finds herself caring for her little half-sister, determined to protect the child&rsquo;s fragile world from a harsh reality. As their bond grows deeper, Katya is faced with a heart-wrenching dilemma that will not only determine her own future, but also give her sister a chance for a better life. With its arresting imagery and intimate access, this compelling coming-of-age portrait explores the weight of responsibility, the power of forgiveness and the cost of love in the face of impossible circumstances. It&rsquo;s a quietly powerful story of survival, sacrifice and sisterhood.</p>

<p>Forty years after her arranged marriage as a child, Hawa finally begins an independent life and to be literate. However, with the return of the Taliban to power, her dreams, along with those of her daughter and granddaughter, are shattered as they face new struggles.</p>