The Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution 2017

6.40

Starting in 1881 this film shows the personal battle between Lenin's Ulyanov family and the royal Romanovs that eventually led to the Russian revolution.

2017

I Really Hate My Job

I Really Hate My Job 2007

3.90

While anticipating the arrival of a famous Hollywood star, five employees at a mediocre restaurant in London's Soho must deal with rats, arguments and kitchen-based power struggles.

2007

Discovering Hamlet

Discovering Hamlet 2011

7.00

Journey into "Hamlet"-the play and the man-through the experiences of some of the major actors and directors who have brought Shakespeare's great tragedy to life. Christopher Plummer, David Tennant, John Nettles, John Simm, Sir Trevor Nunn, Franco Zeffirelli, Philip Saville, and others explore the enduring appeal of the Prince of Denmark more than 400 years after his stage debut.

2011

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

Punk: Attitude

Punk: Attitude 2005

7.00

A documentary on the music, performers, attitude and distinctive look that made up punk rock.

2005

Dracula Unearthed

Dracula Unearthed 2022

7.00

Commemorates 100 years since the release of the German classic, Nosferatu, by FW Murnau, and explores the general fascination of Count Dracula, a figure who resonates with audiences across the literary, art, mythological and historical worlds.

2022

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

The Story of British Cinema: The Pioneer Years

The Story of British Cinema: The Pioneer Years 2022

1

For this inform­at­ive new one-off, film writer Ian Nathan focuses on the first 60 years of British film, from the inven­tion of cinema and the trans­ition from stage to screen, to the emer­gence of the stu­dios and the first pop­u­lar idols. Nathan takes us through the work of lead­ing Brit­ish film-makers — a tal­ent pool that, like Hol­ly­wood’s, benefited from the influx of refugees flee­ing Europe — includ­ing Alfred Hitch­cock, Pow­ell and Press­bur­ger, and many more besides.

2022

Hitler's Putsch: The Birth of the Nazi Party

Hitler's Putsch: The Birth of the Nazi Party 2023

1

The night of November 8, 1923, is arguably the most significant and transformative in the history of the twentieth century. A localised uprising in the Bavarian capital of Munich, led by a small man with a toothbrush moustache and a poisonous yet compelling grandiloquence, would have repercussions that would lead to the political shackling of an entire nation, the most abhorrent crimes of the century and a world war. You might say, Adolf Hitler came of age amid the smell of sweat and sawdust of a Munich beer hall. In the political chaos of 1923, he was a local irritant, gaining popularity among workers and soldiers, the ethos of his Nazi Party spreading like a virus. His first attempt at attaining true power came with an attempted putsch on the already separatist government of Bavaria, which left him imprisoned.

2023

Discovering Buñuel

Discovering Buñuel 2012

1

Luis Bunuel, the father of cinematic Surrealism, made his film debut with 'Un Chien Andalou' in 1929 working closely with Salvador Dali. Considered one of the finest and controversial filmmakers with, 'L’Age d’Or' (1930), attacking the church and the middle classes. He won many awards including Best Director at Cannes for 'Los Olvidados' (1950), and the coveted Palme d’Or for 'Viridiana' (1961), which had been banned in his native Spain. His career moved to France with 'The Diary of a Chambermaid' with major stars such as Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve.

2012

Cambodia, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge

Cambodia, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge 2011

1

Between April, 1975 and January, 1979, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million people in Cambodia. A quarter of the population were wiped out in one of the most brutal and virulent genocides of the twentieth century. This new film explores the life of Pol Pot, the ever-smiling, obsessively secretive leader of the Khmer Rouge. What drove him to inflict such a radical experiment on his own people? How did the Khmer Rouge turn from a band of nationalist revolutionaries into a ruthless killing machine? And why did the West stand by and let it happen?
 As an international tribunal in Cambodia finally brings the surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge to justice, it's time to re-examine the gruesome legacy of Pol Pot.

2011

JFK: The Making of a President

JFK: The Making of a President 2017

6.17

A documentary of the life leading up to the election of John F. Kennedy as president and the controversial life prior that created the legend.

2017

Pinter's Progress

Pinter's Progress 2009

4.00

A personal take on working with Harold Pinter via intimate conversations with actors, directors and writers who share their experiences of the man and his work.

2009

How to Stage a Coup

How to Stage a Coup 2017

6.70

A guide to human history through its most audacious power grabs. From Julius Caesar to Napoleon; from Mussolini to the strongmen of the present day - we see how the world we know has been shaped by those who dream big.

2017

Discovering Christmas Films

Discovering Christmas Films 2018

3.00

Gathering for a Christmas lunch, the film critics and writers of Discovering Film discuss the merits of 20 films from Bill Murray's star turn in Scrooged, the James Stewart classic It's a Wonderful Life, Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander, to Bruce Willis' memorable Die Hard.

2018

Discovering Dance On Film

Discovering Dance On Film 2020

1

A celebration of extraordinary choreographed moments in a countdown of TOP 25 of the most memorable dances in cinema history.

2020

Gary Numan: Reinvention

Gary Numan: Reinvention 2011

1

First shown on TV in 2011, this film is the fascinating story of British Rock Star Gary Numan. From his early meteoric success through mid career crisis and near catastrophe to his renaissance and subsequent evolution into industrial overload. Includes contributions from Trent Reznor, Phil Oakey, Little Boots, Andy McCluskey, Noel Fielding & Martin Mills. This is the story of Reinvention. This DVD edition includes over 45 minutes of extra previously unseen footage. The 45 minutes extra are a mixture of new interviews with Gary and extended footage from sections on the original (longer versions of guest interviews for example), plus scenes that didn't appear on the original at all.

2011

The Summer of Love

The Summer of Love 2017

6.70

In 1967 an expressive, colourful musical force painted a backdrop of social change, fashion, love, turmoil and war. The world remembers the Summer of Love in 1967 as one of those moments when a unique and creative explosion of music and popular culture arrived in the UK and USA.

2017

Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!

Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! 2007

1

A live recording from Rufus Wainwright's sold-out February 25, 2007 tribute concert at the London Palladium to the legendary American actress and singer Judy Garland. The tribute concert features the same songs from Garland's well-known 1961 album, Judy at Carnegie Hall.

2007