Documentary

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey

As sweet a story as you’d expect for the origins of the World’s Nicest Puppet, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey just about manages to win you over with its saccharine rags-to-expensive-felt tale. Sure, it’s more of a celebration of the golden days of Jim Henson Productions than anything else, but with Elmo at the helm it was fairly unlikely this documentary was ever going to explore the back alleys of Sesame Street…

Better This World

A documentary focused around two young men charged with terrorism offences in the midst of the 2008 Republican National Convention, Better This World uses a combination of thoroughly gathered interviews and written record to provide a startling look at America’s escalated approach to internal security. Gripping viewing.

Two Years at Sea

Two Years at Sea, the latest art piece from Ben Rivers, follows the daily habits of the reclusive Jake Williams. As one of the last remaining wild-men, Jake’s story is inspiring, uplifting and needlessly dull.

The Island President

Argh! Climate change, we’re all gonna die! Well, actually some people in the Maldives might. Sorry to make it all gloomy but if, like me, you thought that climate change was just another thing happening in the world, then you should watch this; an insightful documentary about a man determined not to give in to the potential catastrophes of global warming.

A Man’s Story

After following menswear designer Ozwald Boateng around for twelve years, you’d think that at the very least Varon Bonicos might have a good bit of fashion gossip to share with us. Sadly not. A slightly stuffy, rose-tinted documentary about an evidently talented man; though its grounding is in clothing creation it never quite manages to cut to the chase.

Khodorkovsky

“If we were in another state,” mutters one of Cyril Tuschi’s interviewees, “I could be a lot more open with you”. And therein lies the problem. A vital but ultimately frustrating documentary about one of Russia’s most controversial oligarchs, Khodorkovsky does its best to shed light on the mind-meltingly shady dealings between Vladimir Putin and the man who went from being one of the richest businessmen in the world to a Siberian prisoner. The constant political road-blocks can’t help but take their toll on the feature’s punch, but it’s fascinating stuff all the same.

Girl Model

A jaw-lockingly sinister look at the side of modelling never really explored by Tyra Banks Co, Girl Model is a sparse but affecting documentary about the under-age beauty business, its victims and its beneficiaries. Director David Redmon does well to keep quiet, leaving it to his subjects to sketch out an deeply worrying world of exploitation and sexualisation.

The British Guide to Showing Off

The British Guide to Showing Off offers a behind-the-scenes look at Miss Alternative World, a pageant that began 40 years ago as a drag contest and has since morphed into an extravaganza of living art. The film follows the show’s creator Andrew Logan as he creates his 2009 show. With guest spots from Ruby Wax, Zandra Rhodes and about three hundred men in drag, be warned: this is the documentary that will make you want to run away with the circus all over again.

Errol Morris to give BAFTA Lecture

He’s a deeply scary-looking dude, but we’re really looking forward to Sunday 6 November, when the legendary documentarian will give his talk.

We Were Here

We Were Here takes a reflective look at the AIDS virus during the eighties and nineties in the San Francisco gay community. Gracefully melding the devastation of the epidemic with the inspiring reaction from the community that struggled to accept its enormity, We Were Here is deeply moving, utterly inspiring and completely unmissable.