Documentary Weekly

Jan 13

Jan 13 5 films on why we should never take democracy for granted

The liberal democratic model is at a crossroads. Elections and political unrest around the world have exposed the cracks in our individualist, utilitarian path towards progress. As democracy recedes, people are turning towards authoritarian and theocratic leaders. It is sometimes hard to see this tide turning, but thankfully, documentaries are here to help. Doc Weekly was in attendance at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) to pick out five of the of the most urgent films on the subject, including new 2024 and 2025 releases from Petra Costa and Asif Kapadia.

Nov 25

Nov 25 Top 10 Documentaries Coming Out in 2021

Documentary Weekly

Article, Top Docs, Festival

To celebrate IDFA 2020 and this year’s amazing program, we’ve put together a list of our 10 favourite documentaries due for release next year in 2021.

Nov 14

Nov 14 A Vegan Filmmaker Opens the Debate on Animal Sacrifice in Turkey

Documentary Weekly

Film, Short of the Week

Every year in director Nevra Topcu's native Turkey, animals are sacrificed for Eid or Kurban Bayramı. As a vegan, the subject has always put her off. In “Kurban” (Sacrifice), our Short of the Week, she explores in greater depth the debates surrounding the practice. Watch it now for free.

Jul 13

Jul 13 Top 10 Documentaries from The Black Documentary Collective

Benjamin Hollis

Top Docs, Article

We’ve teamed up with the New York-based Black Documentary Collective (BDC) to bring you our latest Top Docs - ten of the best documentaries made by black directors, as voted by the members of the collective.

Jun 30

Jun 30 Top 10 Shorts On Sheffield Doc/Fest Selects

Documentary Weekly

Festival, Film, Top Docs

We’re teaming up with our favourite festival news platform Film Fest Report, to bring you a top 10 of our favourite short films available on the Selects platform.

Jun 17

Jun 17 Pastafarianism And The Real People Who Worship A Flying Spaghetti Monster

Tommy Hodgson

Film, Article, Out Now

A short, punchy documentary detailing the origin, growth, and surprisingly profound philosophy of Pastafarianism - a church founded in jest but rooted in real opposition to the power and influence of religious institutions in civic society.

Jun 4

Jun 4 Top 10 Documentaries On Global Subcultures

Documentary Weekly

Article, Film, Top Docs

As lockdown persists around the world and travel continues to be ruled out, we teamed up with The Movie Diorama to bring you our 10 favourite documentaries that focus on global subcultures, so that you can continue to explore the world through film.

May 28

May 28 What are you watching? Biggest Little Farm, Going Clear and Finders Keepers

Documentary Weekly

Interview, Film, What Are You Watching?

Episode 11 comes to you straight from Hollywood with journalist, photographer and director of “The Family Tree” Amanda McHugh.

May 5

May 5 Top 10 Controversial Documentaries

Documentary Weekly

Top Docs, Film

We teamed up with the brilliant Pandemic Film Club (@pandemicfilmclub) to bring you our first ever Top Docs, ten of the most controversial documentaries out there.

Jan 17

Jan 17 Sufi Ecstasy: Egypt’s Hidden Mawlid Festivals

Yasmin Kamal

Article, Free of the Week, Film

FREE OF THE WEEK

Explore the depths of rural Egypt to discover the mystical Sufi Mawlid celebrations, traditional festivals where locals gather to experience divine ecstasy through chanting, dancing and shared experience. Director Yasmin Kamal gives us some background to this unique film, shot in a vérité style to give us an experiential viewing that is sure to overload the senses and make you question what is real.

Sep 25

Sep 25 ‘Mad’ Mike Hughes the limo driver, flat-earther and DIY rocket scientist

Benjamin Hollis

Film, Interview, Article

When we asked director Toby Brusseau if he ever worried for Mike’s life while shooting ‘Rocketman’, his reply was “Absolutely. All the time. Not only for Mike but for the crew as well”.

Jul 2

Jul 2 A Cambodian Spring

Documentary Weekly

Film

Few films following political upheaval successfully convey the conflicting emotions of their leaders as they struggle for empowerment and justice, but Chris Kelly’s Bafta-nominated ‘A Cambodian Spring’ is such a potent mixture of visual and auditive artistry that no viewer can possibly be left unmoved.

Apr 30

Apr 30 Summer in the Forest

Documentary Weekly

Film

This is the calming and affecting study of L’Arche, a community of people with learning disabilities in France, who despite common beliefs have a huge amount of knowledge to impart on the world.