He’s a complete Doc-head, but he’s our Doc-head. Our seasoned Sheffield Docfest reviewer Mark Perkins picks out the highlights from this year’s celebration of documentary-making…
Admittedly, it’s not all that likely to come up in the Waggon and Horses’ Monday night quiz, but if anyone ever asks you the question “which globally renowned film event takes place in Sheffield in June each year?”, the answer is, of course, DocFest.
There really isn’t anything in the year that gets my cinematic juices flowing more than when the DocFest team announce what they have planned. Of course, it’s not just for us Sheffield folk: 3000-plus delegates from over 60 different countries attend the festival. For its 31st year, we will have to choose from a handpicked selection 109 films over the 6 days, 48 of which are World Premieres. I’ll try to give a flavour of the films and events on offer, pointing out a few that look likely to be in the ‘unmissable’ category. However, every year I’m delighted to be proved wrong when some unlikely piece of skillfully crafted storytelling becomes the hot ticket of the festival, often winning the much-coveted Audience Award in the process.
As is now tradition, the opening film will be shown at Sheffield City Hall. This year, they’ve chosen to screen the world premiere of Kevin MacDonald’s Klitschko: More Than A Fight. The filmmakers have been given unprecedented access to former heavyweight boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir, who together dominated the sport for more than a decade. Now the longest-serving Mayor of Kyiv, this feature-length documentary charts Vitali’s journey from the ring to political office, leading the defence of the capital when it was attacked by Russian forces in February 2022 through to the present day.
Klitschko: More Than A Fight charts the heavyweight champion’s journey from the ring to political office in Kyiv.
Amongst other films that have caught my eye is The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze, co-directed by Tilda Swinton. Believe it or not, one of my claims to fame is that I talked to her in a queue at a Docfest event in 2018. It turns out she wasn’t just there to chat me up; the film was actually being pitched that year at the Docfest MeetMarket, where filmmakers try to find backers for their unmade, upcoming projects. This means it will be a homecoming of sorts for the team that made it. Another one I’m definitely going to watch will be the world premiere of My Sweet Land. It’s a coming-of-age tale focusing on the story of an 11-year-old, Vrej, who lives in the war-torn region of Nagorno-Karabakh – an area internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but disputed by neighbouring Armenia. As his school lessons become increasingly militarised and Vrej struggles to hold on to his childhood dreams, his grandmother laments the cycle of ethnic violence.
My Sweet Land is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of war.
DocFest has six recurring themes running through the week: Rhythms, Debates, People and Community, Journeys, Memories and Rebellions. I always take a keen interest in the music films, which are generally in the Rhythm strand, and this year looks as compelling as ever. Eno With Live Mix will be a unique, never-to-be-repeated experience, in that it is a film that is ‘re-mixed’ every time it is shown. Not surprisingly, it is a portrait of musician, artist, activist and all-round polymath, Brian Eno. I’m also very much looking forward to the world premiere of Blur: To the End and the UK premiere of Chris Smith’s DEVO.
Reflecting the medium’s ever-growing popularity, two live podcast events will be part of this year’s programme, reflecting DocFest’s commitment to embracing all types of non-fiction broadcast media. The Last Witness, with actor Michael Sheen, looks like one to catch, where he chats with Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor about the upcoming series they are working on.
If you fancy watching some TV shows before they hit the (not so) small screen, three world exclusives are being shown of forthcoming series, all of which will be followed by conversations with the stars and creators. Four Kings looks like a big hit (pun very much intended), charting the rivalry between Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis, Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn. The screening will be followed by Frank Bruno himself in conversation with the filmmakers.
But seasoned fans will know that screening films is only one part of DocFest. Increasingly over the years, it has provided an opportunity to widen the definition of a documentary way beyond the cinema screen to embrace all aspects of telling real-life stories. I’m talking about their world-class Alternate Realities events, which run all day in the Site Gallery and are completely free. If I had to list the DocFest events that have lived with me the longest, they often come from here. The most compelling of these may well be an installation where participants navigate the world as though they are a bat! Nocturnal Fugue, by renowned artists Jiabao Li and Matt McCorkle, is described as a multi-sensorial installation that, if I understand it correctly, allows participants to find their way around objects in the way a bat does, using just echo location. Another intriguing instalment is The Finger Rub Rug by Laura A Dima, consisting of a carpet of 1,300 lifelike silicone fingers, each a replica of a cast from the artist’s partner.
Cutting-edge VR technology in Nocturnal Fugue will allow you to experience life as a bat.
The Crucible will be the venue for eight talks and interviews, all of which will explore the stories and personalities associated with documentary in its widest form. One event I’ll be going to is a talk from the creative team behind National Geographic’s documentary, Erased: WW2’s Heroes Of Colour, which will include Idris Elba, the documentary’s narrator. Also in the main Crucible theatre, this year’s BBC Interview will be with Simon Reeve, and the Channel 4 Interview will feature Anna Hall.
But seasoned fans will know that screening films is only one part of DocFest. Increasingly over the years, it has provided an opportunity to widen the definition of a documentary way beyond the cinema screen to embrace all aspects of telling real-life stories.
Many of the documentaries will have a post-screening interview with some of the creative team or stars, and some of the more popular events will also be staged in the Crucible. One film that is certain to draw crowds marks the 40th anniversary of events at Orgreave. The discussion following the world premiere of the film Strike: An Uncivil War, directed by Daniel Gordon, will feature ex-miners, journalists and even Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers). They will be discussing the film and no doubt the events surrounding what became known as the infamous Battle of Orgreave.
Strike: An Uncivil War recounts the Battle of Orgreave, the most controversial and violent confrontation between miners and police during the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike.
The whole of Docfest is squeezed into just six days in June, from the 12th to the 17th, and takes place in The Showroom, Site Gallery, Channing Hall, Curzon Cinema and seven other venues dotted across the city centre. Most of the events are ticketed, and advance booking is always a good idea (although I’ve often noted events at the end of the festival are more likely to have tickets on the door, as some of the delegates have planes to catch).
Head here for ticket info, which includes everything from individual films to purchasing a day pass or even one for the whole week. There are concessionary prices available, including discounts for carers, students, over-60s, claimants, and those unable to afford the standard prices (all operated on a trust basis).
I hope that’s whetted your appetite considerably. See you there, doc fans!
