“‘Ali and Ava’ is a film that brings Barnard’s usual visual and sonic flair, but it falls slightly short of the mark by not tackling the signifiers inherent in the story’s themes.”
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All articles filed in Joel Whitaker
London based culture writer from Merseyside.
Top of the Docs #53 – SHEFFIELD DOC/FEST REVIEW: ‘Factory to the Workers’ (2021)
‘Factory to the Workers’ explores the only example of a working factory co-operative in post-socialist Europe, examining its triumphs, its shortcomings, and what is holding it back.
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Top of the Docs #52 – SHEFFIELD DOC/FEST REVIEW: Don McCullin: ‘Almost Liverpool 8’ (2021)
Daniel Draper and Allan Melia explore Liverpool 8 in their latest film, using Don McCullin’s photographs as a rough guide.
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Top of the Docs #51 – IFFR Review: ‘The Village Detective: A Song Cycle’ (2021)
What is fascinating about ‘The Village Detective,’ as well as perhaps Morrison’s recent practice, is the ability to take a piece of unwanted footage that was tossed away many years ago, and use the documentary form to archive it in such a way that its context and value are maximised.
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Top of the Docs #50 – The Gleaners and I (2000)
The Gleaners and I is a film not just revolutionary for its ground-breaking use of handheld digital cameras, but also for the way in which Varda set about making the film.
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Top of the Docs #49 – El sol del membrillo (1992)
Despite not holding the soothing influence of Bob Ross throughout its runtime, El sol del membrillo is perhaps the defining documentary about painting.
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Top of the Docs #48 – Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016)
With Dawson City: Frozen Time the, extremities at which film can survive is told through a documentary narrative like no other.
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Top of the Docs #47 – Roger and Me (1989)
Roger & Me is undoubtedly a film about how American cities, both big and small, are beholden to corporate power.
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Top of the Docs #46 – Manhatta (1921)
Manhatta is considered by some to be the first American avant-garde film, and as such, captures much more than just the city of New York.
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Top of the Docs #45 – Los Angeles Plays Itself
From stairwells to suburbs and beyond, Los Angeles quite literally is cinema, and Thom Andersen’s Los Angeles Plays Itself sets out to prove it.
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