Best Documentary Films

Documentary Category

Andree Ljutica Chronicles a Day in a Life on Parole in Non-Conventional Doc ‘Seven Hundred Fifty-Six’

Andree Ljutica unpacks the blend of reenactment and narrativised planning that form the non-traditional style of his empathic parole documentary short.

Documentary, Premiere

Ross Donald’s ‘One Last Spin’ Brutally Lays Bare the Cost Behind Britain’s Pernicious Gambling Addiction

Ross Donald discusses mixing reconstructions with candid direct testimony in his advocacy documentary revealing the ugly side of the British gambling industry.

Documentary

Jo Prichard Takes a Tender Look at the Loss of an Iconic London Bingo Club in ‘The Palace’

Jo Prichard talks to DN about capturing an emotional portrait of a unique community displaced due to redevelopment in her BAFTA nominated directorial debut.

Documentary

Louis-Jack’s ‘Midair’ Captures the Euphoria of Bouldering in Widescreen Anamorphic Glory

Louis-Jack reveals how he created a spirited tribute to bouldering through slow-motion, wide-screen montage and a great use of space.

Documentary

Leo Pfeifer Captures Blind Skater Justin Bishop’s Triumphant Return to the Ramp in ‘One Day You’ll Go Blind’

Leo Pfeifer breaks down the technicality and considerations of contributor comfort behind his naturalistic approach to documentary filmmaking.

Animation, Art & Fashion, Documentary, Live Action, Music

Directors Notes Top 20 Filmmaker Conversations of 2021

Here are 20 of DN's favourite filmmaker interviews from 2021 which exemplify what continues to excite us about the craft of filmmaking.

Documentary

Cherish Oteka Finds the Intimate Heart of a Poignant Story of Institutional Racism in ‘The Black Cop’

Cherish Oteka explains how they used classic documentary hardware & a retrospective 4:3 aesthetic to tell an unflinching story of racism & identity.

Documentary, Live Action

Jonas Bak Casts His Own Mother in Feature ‘Wood and Water’, a Spiritual Piece of Late-Life Slow Cinema

Jonas Bak describes how he wanted to faithfully tell his mother's story through both form and narrative for his debut feature film.

Documentary

Bill Blaine Quietly Reflects on the Nature of Art in Jakub Blank’s Gentle Doc ‘A Walk Around the House’

Jakub Blank explains how he created the subtle, conversational atmosphere of his short documentary about prolific painter Bill Blaine.

Documentary

Chad Sogas’ Autobiographical Doc ‘Rat Tail’ Traverses the Path to Self-Discovery via an Awkward Hairstyle

Chad Sogas opens up about the serendipitous process of self-discovery that informed & was necessary for the completion of his autobiographical documentary.

Documentary

Arthur Cauty Encapsulates the Journey of the Colston Statue Trial in Rousing Documentary ‘The Colston Four’

Arthur Cauty speaks to the social issues that informed his decision to document the journey from statue toppling to the trial of The Colston Four.

Documentary, Premiere

Robert Hope Records the Slow Radicalisation of His Eccentric Neighbour in Personal Doc ‘Heaven on Earth’

Robert Hope explains his motivation to capture the insidious rise of far-right conspiracy ideologies from a personal perspective for his doc short.