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London Film Festival · 2017

London Film Festival 2017

Documentary Competition

Programme

12 films · 5 reviews

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Before Summer Ends (Avant La Fin De L'été)

Even after studying in France for five years, Arash hasn’t completely gotten used to the place, so he decides to return home to Iran. But friends Hossein and Ashkan are determined not to accept the loss of their closest pal.

(Country: Switzerland, France; Year: 2017; Director: Maryam Goormaghtigh)

Bobbi Jene

Documentary follows American dancer Bobbi Jene Smith as she returns to the US, leaving behind a loving boyfriend and a successful 10-year run as a star dancer of the famous Israeli dance company Batsheva.

(Country: Denmark, Israel, US; Year: 2016; Director: Elvira Lind)

Chauka, Please Tell Us The time

Documentary about a detention centre for asylum seekers.

(Country: Australia, Netherlands; Year: 2017; Director: Behrouz Boochani, Arash Kamali Sarvestani; Writer: Behrouz Boochani, Arash Kamali Sarvestani; Stars: Behrouz Boochani)

Distant Constellation

Review preview for Distant Constellation

This is an intimate and contemplative film that seeks to gently observe and listen.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
Memories of the residents of a Turkish retirement home.

(Country: US, Turkey; Year: 2017; Director: Shevaun Mizrahi)

Full review

The Dead Nation (Tara moarta)

Archive documentary about pre-Second World War Romania.

(Country: Romania; Year: 2017; Director: Radu Jude; Writer: Emil Dorian, Radu Jude; Stars: Radu Jude)

Ex Libris: New York Public Library

Documentary about the library.

(Country: US; Year: 2017; Director: Frederick Wiseman)

Faces Places (Visages, Villages)

Review preview for Faces Places

Whether she is probing at the ideas of the ties that bind us to a home or considering the morality of goat horns, she constantly nudges us to move around and, perhaps, get a better view.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
The director and photgrapher travel through France as their friendship blossoms.

(Country: France; Year: 2017; Director: Agnès Varda, JR)

Full review See: Agnès Varda on Faces Places, honours, outsiders and Demy , Early bird highlights of DOC NYC 2017

Gray House

Hybrid of documentary and visual art.

(Country: US; Year: 2017; Director: Matthew Booth, Austin Jack Lynch; Stars: Denis Lavant, Aurore Clément, Dianna Molzan)

Kingdom Of Us

Documentary about a family's recovery after their father commits suicide.

(Country: UK; Year: 2017; Director: Lucy Cohen )

Makala

Review preview for Makala

The way director Emmanuel Gras eases under the skin of his main subject makes for fascinating viewing.

Richard Mowe · 3 out of 5
A young peasant makes a difficult journey in the hope of creating a better life for his loved ones.

(Country: France; Year: 2017; Director: Emmanuel Gras; Stars: Kabwita Kasongo, Lydie Kasongo)

Full review

The Prince Of Nothingwood

Review preview for The Prince Of Nothingwood

Even if the facts are fiction, you still get the sense of a man who is driven, at least in part, by an urge to bring some sort of happiness by shooting film rather than bullets.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
The story of Salim Shaheen, the most prolific and popular actor-director-producer in Afghanistan.

(Country: France, Germany; Year: 2017; Director: Sonia Kronlund; Stars: Salim Shaheen)

Full review