Details
In this inspiring selection of short-but-perfectly-formed docs, we witness both people and places overcome, adapt and evolve.
From individuals going through life-changing events to small acts of self-repair; from Nigerian burial traditions to preparations for welcoming a new life; and an archive-rich, sci-fi city symphony, which explores London as a changing organism itself, these films face up to change as an inevitable part of life.
Programme details:
Red Soil │ dir. Joshua Ighodaro │ UK │ 9 mins │ 2023
Exploring burial traditions as old as the Benin Kingdom, Red Soil follows the family of Mama, a beloved Nigerian elder, as they prepare for her funeral. Following custom, the film offers an insight into the Edo State’s perspective on death. Over the course of three days, observing pilgrimage, music, prayer and dance, the film suggests a different form of mourning: a collective celebration of Life. Official Selection Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2023 – World premiere.
Letter to Elie │ dir. Alexis Grigorieff │ UK │ 24 mins │ 2023
In early 2021, after suffering three miscarriages, Camille had her first manic episode. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and admitted to a psychiatric unit, it has been a slow journey to where she is now. When we meet her, she is eight months pregnant and preparing to welcome her child into the world. We follow Camille and her partner Evan as they deal with the implications of her diagnosis, especially with the heightened risk of postpartum psychosis, or depression, for women with bipolar disorder. Winner: International Documentary Association 2023 | David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award.
Visible Mending │ dir. Samantha Moore│ UK │ 9 mins │ 2024
A short animated documentary about the ways we repair ourselves through knitting, even when we can’t be fully mended. BAFTA nomination for Best Short British Animation, 2024.
The Veiled City │ dir. Natalie Cubides-Brady│ UK │ 13 mins │ 2023
The Veiled City is a sci-fi city symphony inspired by London’s Great Smog of 1952. Created from archive footage, the film unfolds through fictional letters from a post-apocalyptic future. Winner: British/Irish Short Film of the Year, London Critics Circle, 2024. Winner: Best Documentary, Curtas Vila do Conde, 2023.
Between Earth & Sky │ dir. Andrew Nadkarni│ USA │ 25 mins │ 2023
After surviving a life-threatening fall from a tree, renowned rainforest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni must turn her research question of “what grows back” in the canopy onto herself, exploring disturbance and recovery throughout her life. Winner: Best Short, Big Sky Documentary Festival, 2023. Official Selection: Sheffield DocFest, 2023. Content Warning: Contains discussion of sexual abuse.
The screening on Wednesday the 5th of June was followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Hosted by DocHouse shorts programmer Sean Parnell.
