Brexitannia

Murderous Minds:Harold Shipman

January 2023 •English

Harold Frederick Shipman, known to acquaintances as Fred Shipman, was an English general practitioner and serial killer. He is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history, with an estimated 250 victims. We delve into the psychology of Harold to try and understand what turned him into such a cruel murderer and how he managed to get away with it for so long.

Land of Tradition

January 1950 •English

This Traveltalk series short visits an array of locations associated with England's heritage. Included are Runnymede, Windsor, Ascot, Lincoln, Wells, Salisbury, Glastonbury, and the ancient Stonehenge site.

People In A Film

Invalid date •English

Chronicles the musical career of British post-punk art rockers Wire.

Pythéas, l'astronome voyageur

November 2013 •French

Harold Shipman - Dr Death

April 2018 •English

Doctor Harold Shipman believed he was God, all-knowing and wise, a supreme being who set out to demonstrate his superiority over others through an ability to murder. His victims were usually elderly, vulnerable and trusting. Some needed help to ease the pain that came with age. Others simply sought re-assurance. All received a death sentence from the man who had taken an oath to save life. From his practice in a Cheshire market town, Shipman achieved infamy as Britain's worst ever serial killer. Officially his victims numbered 15. But he murdered at least 215 times and possibly 1,000. His own greed finally snared Doctor Death, whose evil was exposed through the love of a daughter for her mother, sending him on the path to Hell.

The Future Tense

September 2022 •English

Staged as a series of voiceover sessions, written with gloriously off-balanced precision and dipped in the color green, THE FUTURE TENSE unfolds as a poignant tale of tales, exploring the filmmakers’ own experiences in aging, parenting, mental illness, along with the brutal history that lies submerged beneath Ireland’s heavy, moist earth.

Inquiry: The Great British Housing Disaster

September 1984 •English

David Jones investigates how 1960s council housing came to be built so poorly that thousands later needed to be demolished.

WW1 - War on Two Wheels

May 2021 •English

A fascinating insight into the role of the bicycle in the First World War - from reconnaissance to transporting ammunition, historian and cycling enthusiast Jeremy Banning explores stories from the battlefield. Ollie Bridgewood discovers the role cycle scouts played in the Army Cycling Corp and rides the original bikes used in the conflict. Mark Beaumont meets the grandson of a WW1 soldier who rode for the Highland Cyclist Battalion and survived brutal combat on the front line.

Royaume-Uni, du Brexit au Bregret

September 2024 •French

Four Seasons in a Day

April 2021 •English

Every day, the Carlingford ferry takes travelers from Northern Ireland to Ireland, a short sea voyage across an invisible border that invites reflection on the consequences of Brexit.

Falklands' Most Daring Raid

March 2012 •English

Documentary film about the then longest range bombing mission in history, which changed the outcome of the Falklands War.

Tommy Godwin: The Hardest Year

May 2023 •English

In 1939, driven by a desire for fame and fortune English amateur Tommy Godwin cycled a world record 75,065 miles in one year setting out from home each day through bitter winters and the blackouts of World War Two. He became the fastest person to cycle 100,000 miles in just 500 days. After this epic feat of endurance, Tommy had to learn to walk again and uncurl his hands! The madcap record has only been attempted by a handful of determined souls and Tommy’s record stood for 76 years making it one of the greatest, but also most overlooked sporting achievements. Ultra endurance athlete and round the world cycling record holder Mark Beaumont is on a mission to shine a light on Tommy’s ride. He delves deeper into Tommy’s story and finds out if he has the physical and mental stamina to take on Godwin’s record.

Elton John: A Singular Man

January 2016 •English

An in-depth portrait of British composer, pianist and singer Elton John, pop star and myth of modern culture.

The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story

March 2003 •English

The full bizarre, tragic but celebratory story of Syd Barrett, the co-founder of Pink Floyd.

The Battle of the Somme

August 1916 •English

A documentary and propaganda film which shows the British Army's preparations for, and the early stages of, the battle of the Somme.

A Year Of British Murder

January 2019 •English

Between January 1st and 31 December 2017, 768 people died as a result of murder or manslaughter in Britain - approximately 14 people a week. This powerful and original film tells the stories of some of those cases, exploring the human cost of murder - the ordinary people whose lives are changed forever and the communities left to wrestle with the consequences. Filmed over 12 months, it follows families and friends from the immediate aftermath of the crime, through the court process, and as they try to rebuild their lives. These stories are shown alongside statistical analysis of homicide figures for Britain since the Millennium, which reveal that so far this century, the pattern of homicides has remained strikingly similar in terms of the profiles of victims and the circumstances of the killing. This urgent, unflinching and intimate film goes beyond individual incidents to ask what the patterns of murder in our time say about the state of Britain.

A Life on the Farm

May 2023 •English

A strange story from Somerset, England about a filmmaking farmer and the inspiring legacy of his long-lost home movies.

Who Are We?

January 2016 •English

On the 23rd of June 2016 Britain voted to leave the European Union. Who Are We? is a re-working of material from a BBC television debate transmitted a few weeks earlier.”The most provocative of the bunch is John Smith’s Who Are We?. Leading up to the Brexit vote, BBC’s Question Time became ever more vicious and confrontational. Who Are We? is a manipulation of one of those broadcasts, with David Dimbleby prompting “you, sir, up there on the far right” repeatedly.“Get our identity back – vote leave!” one audience member shouts, while another declares himself a veteran, followed by a swift manipulated cut to rapturous applause. It’s a heavily edited and remixed edition of Question Time, but by highlighting those in the audience with attitudes ranging from nationalistic to xenophobic, Smith’s short film shows the now normalised extremism within our society and our political discourse.” Scott Wilson, Common Space magazine, April 2017

Postcards from the 48%

July 2018 •English

This is a film made by the some of the 48% who voted Remain. The film is of the 48% and for the 48%. It is their story, feelings and reasons for remain, made totally from their perspective.

Three Is Company

January 1959 •English

An American couple tour Britain with a teenage girl, visiting London, Canterbury, Cambridge, the West Country, Caernarvon, etc.