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The 42nd edition of Cinéma du Réel kicks off in Paris this week and we can’t wait to dig in to this year’s selection. Doc Weekly will be in attendance, keeping an eye out for future classics, interviewing directors and keeping you all updated on social media along the way. But first, here are our top picks from this year’s line-up.
In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re featuring an episode of the brilliant Visible Farmer film project in our Free of the Week series! Melissa is a small holds market-gardener implementing techniques and processes that regenerate her land, ensure a strong bond with her local community and completely cut out the need for a supply chain.
FREE OF THE WEEK
Director Matt Hopkins of the Progress Film Company takes us on a journey to meet Douglas McMaster, the fearless pioneer at the heart of Silo, the UK's first zero-waste restaurant. We interviewed Matt to learn more about his England Your England series and his plans for the future.
46 states abide by a felony murder rule, under which felony murder is generally considered first-degree murder. It means an offender can be imprisoned for a murder that occurred while the crime was being committed, regardless of whether the offender directly caused the death. This was the nightmarish circumstance of the ‘Elkhart Four’.
In 2018 Latin America’s largest collection of natural and scientific history, the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro, burned to the ground in a what is now known to have been a wholly preventable fire. Director Marta Miskaryan became fascinated by this tragedy which has had a traumatic effect on the people of Rio, not only wiping the building from the map, but also taking with it generations of emotional attachment and fond memories.
IN CINEMAS
Juan’s family operate a private ambulance in Mexico City. They do this because, without them, 9,000,000 people - as many as live in London - are cared for by only 45 government-funded emergency ambulances. That’s one ambulance for every 200,000 citizens. Families like the Ochoas help to fill the gap; they try to save lives. But it’s not charity.
“Tell Me Who I Am” is as shocking and disturbing as you’ve probably already heard, but don’t let that put you off watching it. Despite it’s stomach-turning revelations, it pries open a taboo subject and is impossible to tear yourself away from. At its heart is an unwavering brotherly bond that, after enduring untold suffering, allows two men to confront their past to tear-jerking effect.
The Cave follows Dr Amani Ballour, a Syrian paediatric doctor and manager of an underground hospital comprised of a network of tunnels and caves in besieged Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus.
FREE OF THE WEEK
Explore the depths of rural Egypt to discover the mystical Sufi Mawlid celebrations, traditional festivals where locals gather to experience divine ecstasy through chanting, dancing and shared experience. Director Yasmin Kamal gives us some background to this unique film, shot in a vérité style to give us an experiential viewing that is sure to overload the senses and make you question what is real.
The time has finally come to announce your winners of our inaugural Yearlies Awards. Discover what were our favourite docs of 2019!
FREE OF THE WEEK
Introducing ‘Free of the Week’, our weekly tip on what documentary you should watch next, for free! Our first edition takes us to Chinese megacity Chongqing to discover the rappers speaking out against censorship and the alienating growth of their hometown.
Doc Weekly is proud to share an exclusive first look at the trailer for Pahokee (2019), the much-anticipated upcoming feature release from husband and wife co-directing duo Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan, released today in cinemas in France.
Every year, more than 100 million animals are killed in U.S. laboratories. However, in making his latest short film Test Subjects, BAFTA-winning director Alex Lockwood (73 Cows) says he was “shocked to find that animal testing when it comes to human health is 95 percent ineffective”. You can currently watch “Test Subjects” online for free!
Take a look back at some of our favourite docs of the year and vote for your favourite in the inaugural edition of The Doc Yearlies!
With Britain heading to the polls next week, a revelatory new film by BAFTA-winner John Pilger, lifts the lid on the NHS’ covert privatisation in the past few years. Find out where you can watch it.
With the festival coming to a close this weekend, we thought we’d share our highlights from the past couple of weeks and the festival’s award-winners along with a sneaky peek at some of our upcoming content.
Kamal’s mission is simple: to reunite lost children with their parents. That’s no easy task in Kutupalong refugee camp, now home to close to a million people. Contributor Gabriella Volak attended the film’s screening at London’s “We The Peoples Film Festival”, backed by the United Nations.
Priyanka Desai is an award-winning documentary producer. Most recently, she worked with Black Rhino Creative on hit Canadian food and travel series Red Chef Revival. While on shoot, she learnt an important lesson in approaching potential film subjects.
This year, Doc Weekly will be in attendance catching world-premieres of the most exciting upcoming documentaries, interviewing some of our favourite directors and keeping you all involved on social media along the way.
But first, what are 2019’s hottest tickets and if you’ll be attending too, what premieres should you be looking out for ?
