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Sheffield DocFest picks
Each June, the world of documentary filmmaking gathers for Sheffield DocFest. The UK’s leading showcase of documentary films and one of the most influential markets for nonfiction storytelling, the festival returns for its 29th edition on 23–28 June 2022.
Over six days, Sheffield DocFest will showcase films, talks, industry sessions and its Alternate Realities exhibitions at cultural venues across the city. Inviting audiences to "ReConnect with Documentary," the programme features 135 films exploring individual and collective stories, how we live, our environment and the ways it is changing globally. Strands in this year’s programme include the music-focussed Rhythms, the past-informed Memories, a spotlight on Ukraine, a selection curated by Asif Kapadia (director of the documentaries Amy, Senna, and Diego Maradona), and more.
Scroll down for our top 10 picks of the films in the DocFest 2022 programme.
Written by Raluca de Soleil.
Pongo Calling
Multiple dates
Štefan Pongo starts a campaign for Romani in the Czech Republic to post selfies from their workplaces after the president claims that Romani people are “socially unadaptable and refuse jobs”. As the movement grows, his family life is affected.
The Melt Goes On Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons
Multiple dates
A portrait of the socially committed conceptual artist David Hammons. With interviews with artists, curators and critics, evocative sounds from Marshall Allen, Idris Ackamoor and Shabaka Hutchings, and a reading by hip-hop forefather Umar Bin Hassan.
Marwan – Tomorrow's Freedom
Multiple dates
A portrait of Marwan Barghouti, the ‘Palestinian Nelson Mandela’, serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison while predicted to become the next Palestinian president. The relentless struggle of a people fighting for freedom, justice and peace.
I Didn't See You There
Multiple dates
Reid Davenport offers a first person account of disability and (in)visibility from his wheelchair. Prompted by a circus tent appearing outside his home, he reflects on the ableist consequences of freak shows, (in)accessibility, stigma, and beauty.
Julie on line
Multiple dates
Julie is a survivor of psychiatry, in the pursuit of the autonomy to redefine her present and reinvent her future. Could her childhood trauma and unusual experiences be grounds for identity and culture, resistance and meaning?