This piece was written by Jahziah Dixon, one of the Cinema Rediscovered 2025 Roaming Reporters – a talent development scheme in partnership with BFI Film Academy South West.
In July 2025, I had the honour of attending my first-ever film festival, thanks to Watershed and BFI Film Academy SW, who selected me and five others to watch the films shown, as well as create some sort of content for them.
Personally, I decided that I wanted to create a top 5 list of the movies I saw at the festival and explain what it was about those films that stuck out to me. I saw 17 in total (16 features and one short) so some of these were hard decisions, but I eventually narrowed it down to five – view the full list and ratings on my Letterboxd.
No. 5: Amadeus
Amadeus is a 1984 period drama about Antonio Salieri as he recounts the life and rivalry he had with acclaimed composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in this fictionalised biopic directed by Miloš Forman – the same director behind the moving One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975).
What makes Amadeus pop is the heavily designed locations. The costume and set designs are absolutely brilliant at capturing late 18th-century environments; it’s stunningly colourful and intricate in detail, with its production that makes the film feel like it was plucked straight out of the time period.
The performances are also really good, from the delightfully funny and energetic Tom Hulce playing Mozart to the more bitter and cold role of Salieri played by F. Murray Abraham, both captivating in their own way.
Humour is another aspect that makes this piece engaging; you can tell it’s not taking itself too seriously because of a handful of jokes and exaggerated moments scattered around. I particularly liked the well-edited transition in the Queen of the Night scene, where the lady is originally shouting at Mozart and then her voice turns into the choir.
Overall, a very entertaining film that flew by thanks to how well it’s executed and how technically thought-out. Certainly a weird one to see at the very end of the festival giving the major studio backing unlike the grand majority of the independent obscure films.
No. 4: Killer of Sheep
Killer of Sheep is a 1978 American independent film directed by Charles Burnett set in the south of Los Angeles. The movie is told in a straightforward slice-of-life way with a very loose sense of a concrete story, more focused on depicting the lives of this African-American community, specifically Stan and his family.
It is presented organically, mostly showing the smaller and realistic activities like children playing together or Stan dealing with work-related problems, making it more of a laid-back watch where one could sit down and vibe with the experience. The minimal usage of music and realistic performances creates a down-to-earth documentary atmosphere, as if it’s showcasing a real community in the Watts area of L.A. and you’re there with them.
Also, this was the last film I saw on my first day of Cinema Rediscovered, so this effortless structure was a nice way to end the first day with while I was still getting used to the festival routine.
No. 3: Handsworth Songs
Handsworth Songs is a 1986 documentary showcasing the many race-related riots occurring in Handsworth and London during 1985, mainly because of the unjustified arrest of a man near the Acapulco Cafe, as well as a raid on the Villa Cross public house in the same area.
The film uses thought-provoking interviews and powerful visual footage from the protests to tackle racial inequalities like police violence against black civilians, which remains relevant today. What makes it stand out against other similar documentaries is the highly experimental presentation – a visceral experience with its use of editing, sound, score and imagery.
For instance, the opening starts with greyed-out footage of rotating machinery work accompanied by disturbing, ominous music, cutting to montages of archival protest footage, photographs and newspapers about the events.
I really like it when a documentary plays with the art of filmmaking and this was exactly that, making it a top three film of the fest. Plus, it’s only an hour long, so well worth a watch if you can find it anywhere.
No. 2: Compensation
Compensation is a 1999 film about the lives of two deaf African-American women, one living in the early 1900s and one in the 1990s, which showcases their general lifestyles and romances.
The most striking aspect is the silent film-like presentation, shot in black and white with still photographs and postcards occasionally appearing on screen with thoughts of the deaf women, accompanied by pleasing piano music to set the vibes.
One of the sweetest films I’ve seen in a really long time, and, like Killer of Sheep, the film is told in a slice-of-life way, avoiding traditional narrative storytelling to focus on the relationship between the two characters from both time periods. This makes the romance feel more real and grounded, to the point that it could be based on a true tale, and all the more gut-punching as the story progresses
Overall, this was a charming and very moving experience with its original design – certainly one of the hidden gems from the festival that was a delight to see on the big screen.
No. 1: The Swimmer
The Swimmer is a 1968 psychological drama and a character study of a man named Ned who tries to swim from neighbourhood to neighbourhood in an attempt to travel to his ‘home’ while he has many conversations with the inhabitants along the way.
Within these conversations, we get to see glimpses of Ned’s reputation and occasionally his past, which further shows his peculiar personality and influence on the characters. Appearing to be a confident, popular person, his odd demeanour becomes increasingly more unsettling as the movie progresses; his constant need to swim and unwanted behaviour around women become really disturbing to watch. On top of this, he seems to lack any self-awareness of his actions, making it more apparent why he’s not wanted by a lot of the town folk, yet he persists in being there regardless.
This uncanny nature is helped by the melancholic and bittersweet score and a lot of the close-up camerawork on the character’s tense facial expressions, especially by Burt Lancaster. The Swimmer also uses psychedelic, surreal-like montages, with shiny lights glowing up the scenery, see-through stills and fuzzy backgrounds. This makes for a dreamlike tone, becoming more intriguing to get soaked up in this interesting character study.
It was a really tough decision deciding between Compensation or The Swimmer to place at number one of Cinema Rediscovered, but after rewatching both of them, I decided that The Swimmer was probably the most fascinating, the most technically engaging, with the most riveting narrative that I was on the edge of my seat by the end.
