Sheffield Doc/Fest
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Under the Wire
Given the sheer logistics and geography of current ‘war zones’, not to mention the erosions in protections traditionally bestowed on journalists, ‘citizen reporters’ are becoming much more important. However, they don’t necessarily have the same impact as those working within print media in the West. Even with all the dangers involved, heightened by the rise …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: The Waldheim Waltz
With populism on the rise and the likes of Donald Trump in power in America and Sebastian Kurz in Austria, we’re in an incredibly dangerous period in world politics. At the same time, knowledge of the horrors of the past which were committed on European soil seems to be fading. Without learning from history we’re …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: On Her Shoulders
The media are fickle creatures. When a story or an issue is hot, they’re falling over themselves to cover every aspect and angle. When interest wanes, it almost feels like it never happened. The same can be said for most politicians. Quick to back a cause if it makes them look good but often not …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Too Beautiful – Our Right to Fight
Whilst Cuba is a relatively small and poor county it has always punched above its weight in the Olympics. This is primarily down to their prowess in the boxing ring. Despite only having twelve places on the national team, roughly twenty percent of Cuba’s athletes participate in the sport. This is presumably due to the …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Three Identical Strangers
When an incredible story appears in the news, and then becomes even more extraordinary, you would naturally assume that a documentary will follow in due course. However, this is not always the case and it can take years and years for the full facts to come out. There are often licencing and access issues which …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: The Cleaners
When the scandal broke about Cambridge Analytica harvesting Facebook data in order to influence election campaigns, it was hardly the first negative press the company had received. Indeed, the major social media giants have faced a string of accusations and allegations for failing to deal with posts on their sites, ranging from far-right and Islamic …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Time Trial
When it comes to sports documentaries, cycling has always been one of the most popular disciplines. Whilst this might have something to do with the rigours and hardships of becoming a top professional athlete, it’s also down to the amount of drug scandals which have plagued the sport. In recent years, Lance Armstrong: Stop at …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Shirkers
At some times in our lives, most of us will have had a dream of becoming a film star, making a film or writing a screenplay or novel. Sadly, whist youthful fantasies are sometimes played-out on a smaller level, the majority don’t even get passed the pre-planning stage. At the age of 16, a Singapore …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Into the Okavango
Africa is a continent which continues to be picked apart for its natural resources, whether that’s precious metals and minerals or its vast array of magnificent wildlife. Botswana is renowned for its spectacular and diverse range of flora and fauna. It’s also remarkable in the measures it takes to protect its fertile natural environment, both …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Preview: Worlds of Ursula K. le Guin
In the male dominated world of science-fiction literature during the 1960s and 1970s, Ursula K. le Guin was an undoubted star. Considered by many to be one of the most important genre authors of all time, her books A Wizard of Earthsea and The Left Hand of Darkness are both considered to be classics. Her …