Doc.London Documentary Film Festival
Facts aren’t always facts, and “alternative facts” don't always lie.
In a world where “truth” is carefully curated, filtered, and viewed through the lens of social media, often the only difference between truth and fiction lies in the perspective through which one views the world.
Documentary films offer a fascinating peephole into a particular reality, at a certain time of a certain person's life. Whether in the form of an expository, a poem, an essay, an observational piece, whether it's dramatized, animated, or based on interviews, documentary films all have a message to send.
How can we make a difference in the world?
Documentary films are not just an avenue through which we can observe real life; they also serve to inform, educate, and critique. They are valuable creations in a day and age where media is increasingly curated and so much more homogenous.
That is why Doc.London welcomes all of the above forms of documentary film-making, and even more so, those that transcend boundaries to move fluidly between one and more styles.
Ours is a new annual film festival featuring work from around the world by up and coming artists, showcasing innovative independent cinema with all selected films inviting viewers to learn and ponder.
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Armored Saint - A Band of Brothers (UK) by Russell Cherrington
Synopsis: This is the story of Armored Saint, a band of brothers that created their own unique sound and image in the 1980's Los Angeles rock and metal scene. Running time: 02:24:00.
About the director: Cherrington is a senior lecturer for Film and Video Production at the University of Derby. H... -
To America (USA) by Arya Jo Singh
Synopsis: In an effort to defend her “American-ness”, an Indian-American teenager writes a poem about her dual identity. Running time: 00:04:24.
Selections/awards: Venice Film Week, Doc.Boston, New Jersey Independent FF, Super Shorts NY.
About the director: Arya Singh is currently a sophomore... -
Flee (France) by Xu Kai
Synopsis: At the beginning of 2020, a major virus swept the world. Xu Kai rushed to Chengdu to catch a flight back to France before all of China was quarantined, so as not to miss his studies. On this trip, he used his phone to record what he saw and heard. He continued this until he arrived in P...
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One Driver, One Mic (USA) by Krishnan Vasudevan
Synopsis: When Uber and Lyft decimated Austin’s taxi industry, a group of immigrant drivers decided to fight back by starting a driver-owned taxi cooperative. However, they must transform themselves from competitors vying for fares to equal citizens within a democracy. Just as the drivers start t...
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Shivering Wall (Taiwan) by Tseng Yu Chin
Synopsis: A dark room. A reverberating bass. A languid heap of teenaged bodies at a house party. A heavy atmosphere. A slight smog represents a spirit in the space. Is the spirit someone else? Is the smog another you – a parallel you from another world to look at your own body in this group full ...
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Under the Roof of the Sky (UK) by Tony Lord
Synopsis: "Under the Roof of the Sky" is a poignant exploration of homelessness which uses the personal testimony of five men who used to be homeless and addicted to drugs in Manchester, Bolton, Stockport and Liverpool. We hear their personal accounts of what life was like on the streets, their t...
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In A Dissent Manner (India) by Ehraz Zaman
Synopsis: The campus of Aligarh Muslim University became a battleground on 15th December 2019 when police and RAF forces entered the campus on the pretext of dispersing protestors, and inflicted what can only be described as one of the worst cases of police brutality, and violence on the students...
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For Vegas (USA) by Robin Greenspun
Synopsis: In 2015, Egyptian writer Ahmed Naji was accused of referencing "transient lust and fleeting pleasure" in his novel “Using Life”. He was sentenced to two years in prison. After 10 months in prison, Naji’s sentence was suspended and he was temporarily released but remained under a travel ...
