Today marks the first day of Doc/Fest, where industry delegates arrive in their coach loads for a week of international documentary premieres, networking events, industry talks and lest we forget the parties! As a resident of Sheffield for over nine years, I have often witnessed the flood of activity that comes to the city in June (laden with lanyards and cabin-sized suitcases) first as a student, then as a volunteer, and later working with Doc/Fest.
This year, I was lucky enough to gain the illustrious Press Pass to Sheffield Doc/Fest, granting me access to all of the films, talks and parties a girl can fit into her tightly-packed Google Calendar.
Here are five things I’m looking forward to seeing at this year’s Doc/Fest
The Opening Night film of Sheffield DocFest 31st edition is the World premiere of Kevin Macdonald's portrait of former heavyweight boxing world champion and current Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko.
With unprecedented access to Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir, who together dominated the heavyweight boxing world for more than a decade, Klitschko: More than a Fight captures the longest serving Mayor of Kyiv as he holds his city together in the face of constant Russian aggression.
The film traces Vitali’s journey from the ring to the highest office in Kyiv. It witnesses his rise through the city’s political ranks during the 2014 Maidan revolution and how he won massive support with his campaign against corruption. But his true metal was tested and proven as he helped bolster the city’s morale during the first days of the Russian invasion in February 2022, and subsequent aerial bombardment by its army. At the same time, Wladimir used his celebrity status to raise funds and military support, helping to ensure the conflict remains in the minds of the world’s leaders and populace.
Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald (High & Low: John Galliano, One Day in September, Touching the Void) draws on a wealth of archive and personal footage, alongside new interviews, to tell the brothers’ story, from their Soviet childhood, through their sporting career, to their current role helping to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. It’s a riveting portrait of the strength it takes to hold a city and country together during times of conflict and shows us, as Macdonald notes, ‘what bravery and resilience really mean’.
As a lover of films which place boxers at the centre and someone who has been boxing for just over a year (see also: this article I wrote on cinematic representations on female boxers) I’m excited to see the sport take centre-stage in the Opening Night World Premiere for this year’s Doc/Fest. This one’s screening tonight, 18:15 at Sheffield City Hall’s Oval Room.
If you miss Klitschko: More Than a Fight, there’s more boxing to be found in Four Kings screening on Sat 15 June, 17:00 at the Crucible Theatre.
Few groups embraced sci-fi, satire and surrealism with the gusto that the Dada-inspired, US new-wave, art-punk, synth-pop band DEVO did, as this energetic portrait reveals.
DEVO was formed by Ohio twins Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, and Gerald and Bob Casale, along with Bob Lewis, in 1973. They took their name from the word ‘de-evolution’, believing than humankind had reached a point of regression in its development. They looked like they had stepped out of a sci-fi movie, sounded like a melange of emerging music styles (embracing punk, rock, the emerging electronica scene and, later, pop) and critiqued the direction their country – and the world – was heading. Wham! director Chris Smith’s immensely entertaining and insightful film presents this eclectic band’s storied past and present, from their work with Brian Eno and the success of the single Whip It to more recent incarnations of the group.
Funnily enough, I first got into DEVO through watching a performance by Sheffield-based tribute band We Are Not DEVO, and have been a fan of the American New Wave band ever since. You can catch DEVO on Wed, Jun 12th, 9:00 PM @ Showroom, or Thu, Jun 13th, 12:15 PM @ Curzon.
Troubled Eastender Hak Baker's life takes an unexpected turn after he wins a guitar in a prison raffle.
This unconventional music documentary follows an unconventional musician. Filmed over five years, this accomplished feature debut by DEADHORSES (James Topley and Ivo Beckett) walks an entertainingly thrilling line between profundity and profanity as Hakeem confronts the trauma of class and masculinity in the shadow of his unexpected and sudden stardom. An anarchic yet sincere portrait of British lad culture, Hakeem is more than a chronicle of a musician's life – it’s a fascinating and intimate portrait of existential angst, brotherhood and hope in the face of the taboos that surround male mental health in the UK. A music doc of the rarest kind, it's one that melds arresting aesthetics with depth and a savage honesty.
Screening as part of the Rhythms strand, Hakeem will screen Thu, Jun 13th, 8:30 PM @ Crucible Theatre, Fri, Jun 14th, 4:15 PM @ Showroom and Mon, Jun 17th, 8:45 PM @ Showroom so there’s plenty of opportunities for you to see it.
A treasure trove of live and archive footage drives this portrait of the British band as they prepare to tour their new album.
Filmed over a decade, but also drawing in a wealth of footage from throughout their career, Toby L’s documentary portrait explores Blur’s trajectory, from a group of friends jamming to becoming one of the most acclaimed British bands of the last 35 years. It captures them as they come together to record what will be the critical and commercial success The Ballad of Darren, leading to their first – and sell-out – shows at Wembley stadium in the summer of 2023. The film shows how the group have continued to forge new creative paths, never resting on the laurels of former glories. With their recent performance at Coachella yet another defining moment of their recent revival, this is the perfect time to look back on their career.
Distributed by Altitude, the film will be screening on Fri, Jun 14th, 7:45 PM @ Crucible Theatre featuring a conversation with the Director, and Sun, Jun 16th, 10:30 AM @ The Light. Blur: To The End will be followed by an industry-only After Party at Network.
An Army of Women
A compelling documentary that places us at the heart of the battle against a justice system which systematically fails to address rape cases in Austin, Texas.
In the face of the alarming reality that fewer than one percent of reported rape cases result in felony convictions in the US, this timely film introduces us to a group of women embarking on a journey of activism and healing. They have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Austin police department and district attorney for mishandling sexual assault cases. Despite immense pushback from law enforcement, The film documents their fight, as survivors and their allies challenge the legal system. A record of a fight against institutional inequality, An Army of Women is a compassionate portrait of the women confronting a broken system and a rally cry for activism wherever such situations exist, showing the power and hope of collective action.
Content Guidance: This film contains discussions about sexual harassment, assault & rape.
Screening in the ‘Rebellions’ strand, An Army of Women will be shown on Fri, Jun 14th, 8:30 PM @ Curzon and Sat, Jun 15th, 3:30 PM @ Showroom.
Agent of Happiness
A happiness surveyor in the Kingdom of Bhutan grapples with his own contentment in this light-hearted yet fascinating probe into how happiness can be measured.
Employed by the Bhutanese government, Amber Gurung travels across mountainous regions to gather data from citizens to measure the country’s gross national happiness. The 148 questions featured in the survey are straightforward, but they draw out the participants’ personal stories, along with a range of emotions that the survey cannot possibly encapsulate. Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó’s film explores larger critical issues raised by this questionnaire and assesses whether it is even possible to define a nation’s happiness, both in the home and as a citizen. They also offer a tender portrait of Amber’s life as a caretaker of his ageing mother, his longing for a romantic partner and his insecurities due to a lack of citizenship.
Now this one’s a little bit of a cheat, considering I’ve already seen it, but having left my first Doc/Fest screening feeling grateful, empowered, and centred, I would thoroughly recommend Agent of Happiness. You can catch it Thu, Jun 13th, 10:30 AM @ The Light and Fri, Jun 14th, 8:15 PM @ Curzon
Also on my radar are Eno with Live Mix + Conversation followed by a Glam Rock Party at Showroom.
The full programme of events can be found on the Sheffield Doc/Fest website.
Tickets for Sheffield Doc/Fest can be purchased here.
