The Dead Nation, Radu Jude
Here's my list of top 10 documentaries to look out for at the BFI London Film Festival. Other documentaries worth seeing that I couldn't squeeze into my top 10 list include Bamseom Pirates Seoul Inferno, Dolores and Here to be Heard: The Story of the Slits.
Click on each title for more information, schedule and ticket details.
78/52
Dir Alexandre O. Philippe
2017 | USA | 91min
Crack open the chocolate syrup, Mrs Bates is coming to stay.
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life
Dir Sally Aitken
2017 | Australia | 97min
A galaxy of Aussie stars pay tribute to Australia’s leading film critic, as David Stratton takes us on a journey through the nation’s cinema.
The Dead Nation
Dir Radu Jude
2017 | Romania | 83min
Romanian life prior to the outbreak of the Second World War is the subject of Radu Jude’s fascinating archive documentary.
Distant Constellation
Dir Shevaun Mizrahi
2017 | USA-Turkey-Netherlands | 80min
Residents of a retirement home in Istanbul share their memories in this arresting and artful documentary.
Ex Libris: New York Public Library
Dir Frederick Wiseman
2017 | USA | 197min
An immersive journey into the New York Public Library with great documentarian Frederick Wiseman.
Faces Places
Dir-Scr Agnès Varda, JR
2017 | France | 89min
Agnès Varda teams up with artist JR for a road-trip across France, in this moving meditation on friendship, cinema and the power of art on people’s lives.
Filmworker
Dir Tony Zierra
2017 | USA | 94min
A fascinating account of working alongside Stanley Kubrick – by one of his closest collaborators.
Gray House
Dir Austin Lynch, Matthew Booth
2017 | USA | 76min
A spell-binding exploration of the human experience, visually dazzling, combining documentary and video art.
Promised Land
Dir Eugene Jarecki
2017 | USA-Germany | 117min
Comparing Elvis’s life and times with everyday existence in Trump’s America, this slyly amusing road movie documentary is a treat for the eyes and ears.
Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton
Dir Rory Kennedy
2017 | USA | 118min
A cinematic treat exploring the life and career of Laird Hamilton, a pioneer in big waves surfing.
Images and text via BFI London Film Festival 2017.