Dance First

Dance First 2023

7.90

Parisian bon vivant, World War II Resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband and recluse…Samuel Beckett lived a life of many parts. Titled after Beckett’s famous ethos “Dance first, think later”, the film is a sweeping account of the life of this 20th-century icon.

2023

The Lost Leonardo

The Lost Leonardo 2021

7.10

London, England, 2008. Some of the most distinguished experts on the work of Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) gather at the National Gallery to examine a painting known as Salvator Mundi; an event that turns out to be the first act of one of the most fascinating stories in the history of art.

2021

Lennon's Last Weekend

Lennon's Last Weekend 2020

6.00

In December 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono had not spoken to the media for more than five years. With a new album to promote Lennon was prepared to speak in New York to Radio One D.J. Andy Peebles of the BBC. John surprised everyone by candidly discussing a variety of subjects he'd never spoken of before including The Beatles break-up, his relationship with Paul McCartney, his battles with addiction, political issues in the US and UK, his family and his homesickness for Liverpool. Lennon's heartfelt honesty and forthright revelations make this film all the more potent as he was brutally shot and murdered 48 hours later. John Lennon was just 40 years of age when he died. December 2020 is the 40th anniversary of his death. He would have been 80 years of age.

2020

1968: A Year of War, Turmoil and Beyond

1968: A Year of War, Turmoil and Beyond 2018

7.30

The Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the May events in France, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, the Prague Spring, the Chicago riots, the Mexico Summer Olympics, the presidential election of Richard Nixon, the Apollo 8 space mission, the hippies and the Yippies, Bullitt and the living dead. Once upon a time the year 1968.

2018

The Seven Ages of Elvis

The Seven Ages of Elvis 2017

7.60

Documentary about the life and career of Elvis Presley produced for Sky Arts. Includes rarely seen clips and photos from throughout Elvis' career as well as comments from music historians and musicians, songwriters, producers, actors, etc. who worked with him. Narrated by producer/director David Upshal.

2017

Discovering Lennon

Discovering Lennon 2010

7.75

A show commemorating the 30th anniversary of the former Beatle's death. His contemporaries and current commentators reflect on the role of John Lennon, the artist and radical thinker.

2010

Falls the Shadow:  The Life and Times of Athol Fugard

Falls the Shadow: The Life and Times of Athol Fugard 2012

1

Director Tony Palmer tells the incredible life story of Athol Fugard, the prolific playwright, novelist, and director who exposed the horrors of South Africa's apartheid system for the entire world to see. Interviews with Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Yvonne Bryceland and others help to illuminate Fugard's remarkable legacy.

2012

Pompeii: Eros and Myth

Pompeii: Eros and Myth 2020

5.50

A story about one of the most famous and mysterious archaeological sites in the world.

2020

Largo al factotum

Largo al factotum 2009

7.20

A silent black-and-white comedy inspired by the fizzing rollercoaster of Largo al factotum - the familiar aria from Rossini's The Barber of Seville - featuring the young apprentice hero and a recalcitrant, increasingly monstrous hairball.

2009

The Animated World of Halas and Batchelor

The Animated World of Halas and Batchelor 2019

1

The story of married animators, John Halas and Joy Batchelor. A Jewish emigre from Hungary and a working class woman from Watford, England, John and Joy fell in love, created cartoons that helped the allies to win the war, and produced the first feature-length animation in British cinema history, Animal Farm (1954).

2019

The Turning Point

The Turning Point 2009

1

In The Turning Point, written by Michael Dobbs, Benedict Cumberbatch takes the role of Guy Burgess while Matthew Marsh plays the part of Winston Churchill. The play was part of the Sky Arts Theatre Live! Series, which won the Broadcasting Press Guild Best Multichannel Programme Award.

2009

Snodgrass

Snodgrass 2013

1

In 1991 50-year old John Lennon, living on the dole in Birmingham and following the moderate success of the Beatles, recalls how he left the band in 1962 after they were persuaded to release 'How Do You Do It?' as a single, rather than 'Love Me Do'.

2013

Gary Numan: Resurrection

Gary Numan: Resurrection 2022

7.30

40 years after he last played the Wembley Arena, Gary Numan staged the comeback of a lifetime. Follow Numan on his road back to Wembley and follow his turbulent careers, from the crushing lows to the exhilarating highs.

2022

Botticelli, Florence and the Medici

Botticelli, Florence and the Medici 2021

8.30

Documentary on the art and culture of Florence in 15th century Tuscany and, in particular, the work of Eary Ranaissance painter Sandro Botticelli (1445-1501).

2021

The Snipist

The Snipist 2012

9.00

The struggle of a lone sniper in a dystopian future Britain plagued with rabies and ruled over by a sinistrous Ministry of Information.

2012

Cold War Steve Meets the Outside World

Cold War Steve Meets the Outside World 2020

1

Film following the acclaimed Birmingham based artist, known for his controversial satirical collages, as he embarks on a UK wide outdoor art installation.

2020

Palmyra: Rising from the Ashes

Palmyra: Rising from the Ashes 2017

1

Documentary following a team of technicians in Italy as they reconstruct a number of historic Middle Eastern artifacts that were vandalized at the hands of Islamic State.

2017

Discovering Sci Fi on Film

Discovering Sci Fi on Film 2021

9.00

Ian Nathan, Neil Norman and Stephen Armstrong run through their top 25 sci-films of the last century, including The Matrix and Planet of the Apes.

2021