TELLING STORIES
DOCUMENTARIES GIVE US AN EXTRA PAIR OF EYES. Alain de Botton
De Botton’s quote hints at the hugely important role that documentary
film plays. For some people, that ‘extra pair of eyes’ could make the
difference between suffering and safety, even life and death. There are
stories to be told and thanks to the British Documentary Film
Foundation, the visionaries with the will but not the wallet to tell
them are finally getting a chance.
The U.K has a great history in the documentary genre, from Edgar Anstey’s Housing Problems in 1935 to Karel Reisz’s 1959 film, We Are The Lambeth Boys. However, the foundation, while tipping its cap to the nation’s proud history, is a modern, forward-thinking champion of documentary.
The past 3 years have been hugely significant, with some great success stories. For example, Black Gold, the exposé of the multi-million dollar coffee industry made by Nick and Marc Francis, received a grant from the foundation and subsequently won official selections at the Sundance, IDFA, and Times Film Festivals as well as taking Best Documentary at the San Francisco Black Film Festival and Libertas.
This week, the Foundation hosts the Brit Doc Festival 2008. It is a melting pot of new talent, legends of the genre and a handful of people that believe in British Documentary and have the financial clout to help bring films like Black Gold into existence. Let’s hope the Foundation and its friends continue to go from strength to strength.
