Varda by Agnès
Agnès Varda, who died in 2019, was a photographer, installation artist and pioneer of the widely influential French New Wave film movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This self-made film, produced just before her death, is filled with magic – and is a rare chance to see a major artist’s work from their own perspective.
Toni Morrison
Spanning the full length of Morrison’s life and prolific career, Pieces I Am examines her works and the powerful themes she has explored through her writing. With Morrison’s charisma and brilliance at its centre, the film explores her career as a novelist and editor as well as the history that has informed her writing.
The Kingmaker
The Kingmaker provides an extraordinary look at the political career of Imelda Marcos, the former Philippines first lady who, together with her husband, reigned over the country with an iron fist while pillaging its wealth, and who continues to exercise remarkable influence in the current Duterte administration and its rule of terror.
The Angel of History
A border in Europe. A painting by Paul Klee. A poem by Walter Benjamin. A film about yesterday and today, and how difficult it is to recognize one behind the other.
King of the Cruise
The subject of the film – an ageing baron named Ronald Busch Reisinger who claims to be Irish but is the very image of American excess – is vacuous and insecure. But that is very much the point in this beautifully rendered document of cruise-line luxury culture in which the facade of decadence is lifted to reveal its essential emptiness.
How to Steal a Country
A journey into how investigative journalists uncovered the alleged corruption scandal surrounding former President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family.
The Red Place
Muofhe explores the psychological circumstances of forgiveness after uncovering new truths about the murder of her uncle in 1998.
Cunningham
This masterfully produced documentary about avant-garde dancer Merce Cunningham and his enduring relationship with avant-garde musician John Cage blends recreations of Cunningham’s landmark works with rich archival footage garnered over three decades.
Advocate
Advocate is an absorbing account of the life of Jewish-Israeli advocate Lea Tsemel, who has worked tirelessly for nearly 50 years defending Palestinians against charges laid by the Israeli state. Directed with compassion and restraint, this richly multi-layered exploration of Tsemel’s life is equal parts courtroom drama and character study.