Listening to Britain
Mon 2 - Tue 31 March
Postcodes, the new documentary from Bristol based filmmaker Neil Maggs, focuses on the local and urges us to listen to each other in order to understand community issues whilst Blue Has No Borders collects a spectrum of voices from the Brexit divide in Folkestone to try and find common ground on this divisive issue.
These two films provided the starting point for our Listening to Britain season which brings together a selection of contemporary documentaries inviting us to listen to Britain afresh, from a new generation of young female activists in Gentle Angry Women to the fleeting nature of fame, and the ever-changing landscape of British society and cultural tastes in Still Pushing Up Pineapples.
This documenting tradition draws on roots from as far back as the Mass Observation project the 1930s, a unique UK social history project that captures everyday life through diaries, surveys, and recordings by volunteers and investigators, aiming to create an "anthropology of ourselves" by documenting ordinary people's experiences, feelings, and thoughts. Humphrey Jennings, one of the founders of the Mass Observation project would continue that ethos into his own documentary filmmaking creating a body of work which put the ordinary lived life on screen. (The title of the season comes from his film Listen to Britain which you can watch for free online).
The season opens with a discussion between season curator Mark Cosgrove and Mandy Rose, Professor of Documentary & Digital Cultures at UWE Bristol exploring the history of this documentary tradition.
Upcoming screenings & events in this season
Postcodes + Q&A
classified 18 (CTBA) Listening to Britain
Following a spate of tragic knife crime deaths in Bristol, this documentary film looks at how young people in the city are responding.
Documenting our Own Lives: Video Nation
classifiedSuitable for 12 years and over
In this illustrated discussion between Listening to Britain curator Mark Cosgrove and Mandy Rose, co-producer of Video Nation and Professor of Documentary & Digital Cultures at UWE, they will explore how documenting everyday life through first person diaries and recordings has brought distinct perspectives to the media landscape.
Blue Has No Borders + Q&A
classified 15 Listening to Britain
A young filmmaker is determined to know her neighbours in the port town of Folkestone. But in the aftermath of Brexit, building new relationships isn’t easy.
Still Pushing Pineapples
classified 12A Listening to Britain
A melancholic yet heartfelt story of the former singer of pop band Black Lace and his journey on the road with his aging mother and his partner, as he aims for a comeback.
Uncommon Voices: Exploring Class in New British Cinema
classified 15 Listening to Britain
This programme of shorts, selected by filmmaker and curator Nia Childs, is for anyone who wants to explore working class Britain as it is and imagines itself to be, in the hope of discovering something new.
Gentle Angry Women + Q&A
classified 12A Listening to Britain
As they navigate the complexities of teenage life and social activism, three young women embark on a journey of discovery, following in the footsteps of over 30,000 women who forty years earlier united in peaceful, liberating protest, the remarkable Greenham Common Women's Peace Movement.
London Boys + Q&A
classified 15 Listening to Britain
Behind the loud and intimidating motorcycles of the "Bangladeshi Bad Boys" is a group of second-generation Bangladeshi men who find in their bikes a sense of identity and a way to overcome racism.
All screenings £6.00 full (plus 12% booking fee*) / £4.00 concessions (plus 12% booking fee*).
*Booking fee applies to online and phone booking only.
Buy a Club Shed membership and enjoy 15% off cinema and Undershed tickets, advance booking for special events, discounts in the Café & Bar and more.