Sheffield DocFest 2010

The best recent documentaries from the UK.

View other Sheffield DocFest Films by strand: Art Docs, Bent Docs, Doc/EU, Doc/International, First Cut, Middle East Focus, Music Docs, Partwardhan Focus, Scottish Documentary Institute Focus

Just Do It Just Do It
Just Do It and The Playboy Murderer
After The Apocalypse (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Antony Butts)
A look at the suffering caused by Russia's nuclear testing programme in Kazakhstan, where villagers who knew nothing of what was happening have suffered appalling, generational effects of radiation poisoning.
The Arbor (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Clio Barnard; Stars: Manjinder Virk, Christine Bottomley, Monica Dolan, Neil Dudgeon, Danny Webb, Jimi Mistry, George Costigan, Natalie Gavin)
Avant-garde documentary exploring the life and legacy of Rita, Sue And Bob Too! playwright Andrea Dunbar.
Alan Bennett And The Habit of Art (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Adam Low)
Alan Bennett discusses the creation of his latest play, The Habit Of Art, and explores the stories of its subjects, WH Auden and Benjamin Britten.
Arena: Rolf Harris Paints His Dream (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Vikram Jayanti)
The charismatic Australian octogenarian looks back on his remarkable career.
Ashura (Country: UK, Iran; Year: 2010; Director: Roxana Pope)
Film borne out of artist's residency with Edinburgh Mela.
Waste Land Waste Land
Waste Land and Donor Unknown
Barber's Dozen (Country: UK; Year: 2009; Director: Tara Manandhar, David O'Neill), Official Site
The tales of people who frequent a barber's shop chair.
The Battle For Barking (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Laura Fairrie; Stars: Margaret Hodge, Nick Griffin)
A documentary following Margaret Hodge's campaign against the BNP in Barking at the 2010 general election.
Behind This Sea (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Lottie Gammon)
The stories of boat people who have made a perilous journey from Libya to Italy only to find themselves segregated from the local population.
Coppers (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Tim Wardle)
Call centre operators try to distinguish genuine emergency calls from hoaxes in this documentary about police officers' attitudes to modern society.
Donor Unknown (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Jerry Rothwell), Official Site
A young woman born via donor insemination advertises in search of her biological father, meets half-siblings and subsequently explores her feelings for the surprised stranger who reads about her quest.
Pink Saris Pink Saris
Pink Saris and Exit Through The Gift Shop
Don't Give Up Your Guns (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Juris Kudeiko)
A look at the experiences of young Latvian immigrants in London struggling to earn money they can send home to their families.
Exit Through The Gift Shop (Country: US, UK; Year: 2010; Director: Banksy; Stars: Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Rhys Ifans, Space Invader), Official Site
A documentary about a French shopkeeper who tracked down the famous graffiti artist Banksy... or a very clever piece of performance art.
Elgar: The Man Behind The Mask (Country: UK; Year: 2009; Director: John Bridcut)
A documentary portrait on the composer, exploring his wary fascination with celebrity and class.
The Flaw (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: David Sington), Official Site, Trailer
An investigation of how the stock market crash really happened, explaining the complex financial issues involved in easily understood terms.
Just Do It (Just Do It: A Tale Of Modern Day Outlaws, Just Do It: : Get Off Your Arse And Change The World) (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Emily James), Official Site
A first-hand look at the politics of civil disobedience in the UK.
The Battle For Barking The Battle For Barking
The Battle For Barking and The Arbor
Marathon Boy (Country: UK, US; Year: 2010; Director: Gemma Atwal; Stars: Budhia Singh)
A portrait of the competitive interests and corruption surrounding a child with an extraordinary gift for distance running.
Meet The Sceptics (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Rupert Murray)
Meet some sceptics.
My Kidnapper (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Mark Henderson, Kate Horne; Stars: Mark Henderson)
Former ELN hostages return to the Sierra Nevada mountains to meet one of their kidnappers, with whom the director has been talking in email for five years.
The New Kings Of Nigeria (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Elizabeth Stopford)
The grandson of captured Nigerian King Jaja returns to his homeland - as a reality TV presenter.
Now As It Was Then - Heaven 17 The Story of Penthouse & Pavement (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: James Strong)
The story of Sheffield band Heaven 17 and their struggle to record their first album against a background of poverty.
Ashura Ashura
Ashura and Marathon Boy
No Easy Time (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Will Woodward)
A group of prisoners in Devon run their own prison and work hard to change their lives, but have difficulty moving into the outside world.
Old Man In The Sea (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Katrina Mansoor)
One of the Britain Swimming Club's last surviving members takes his therapeutic daily dip in the sea and suggests everybody should do likewise.
On The Streets (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Penny Woolcock)
The stories of London's homeless people challenge the stereotypes.
Pink Saris (Country: UK, India; Year: 2010; Director: Kim Longinotto)
Low-caste women in Uttar Pradesh fight back against social injustice in this documentary.
The Playboy Murderer (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Rachel Williams)
The story of flashy businessman and conman Thanos Papalexis, who dazzled his friends and lovers yet harboured a dark secret.
Barber's Dozen Barber's Dozen
Barber's Dozen and After The Apocalypse
Robin Hood Gardens (Or Every Brutalist Structure For Itself) (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Martin Ginestie)
A documentary about the battle over the Robin Hood housing estate in Tower Hamlets, between those wanting to preserve its architecture and those wanting to build better homes for its residents.
Scenes From A Teenage Killing (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Morgan Matthews)
A chance to meet the families of teenagers killed in violent incidents across the UK, asking what terms like 'gang violence' really mean.
Shooting Blind (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Adalean Coade, Andrew Whitehouse)
England's blind football team demonstrate their skills.
Skateistan: To Live And Skate Kabul (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Orlando von Einsiedel)
Teenagers in war-torn Afghanistan learn to use skateboards and discover a new lust for life.
Small Protests (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Zillah Bowes)
Rabbit intends to change the world one protest at a time, and starts by camping outside the unused home of an MP caught up in the expenses scandal.
Suburbia In Therapy (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Zac Beattie)
An animated documentary in which couples talk to relationship therapists.
This Chair Is Not Me (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Andy Taylor Smith)
A man with cerebral palsy uses technology to restore his agency and take back his place in the world.
Waste Land (Country: UK, Brazil; Year: 2010; Director: Lucy Walker)
Portrait of garbage pickers in Rio who participated in a project with artist Vik Muniz.
What a Girl Wants (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Will Woodward)
A recovering drug addict struggles over what to do about the fact the man she loves can't quit his habit.
When China Met Africa (Country: France, UK; Year: 2010; Director: Marc Francis, Nick Franci)
An exploration of the relationship between China and Zambia, as the former develops projects ostensibly aimed at lifting the latter out of poverty.
Windows (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Ruth Cook)
An art project gives homeless Londoners the chance to express themselves.
News

59th New York Film Festival early bird highlights Futura, Jane By Charlotte, James Baldwin: From Another Place and The Velvet Underground

More news and features

Playing Now

Eye For Film continues to support festivals both locally and across the world. At the moment, we're covering:

Glasgow Short Film Festival

Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Showcase of films with a humanitarian focus

Flare

South by Southwest

Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival
Greek celebration of factual film

In the Archive


Archive of festival coverage.

Daily diary and reviews from 2005-2018.

Coverage of the lynchpin German festival.