CINETOPIA: DOC
Cinetopia:DOC is a monthly programme strand entirely dedicated to documentary film. Our mission is to bring exceptional creative documentaries that prove hard to be seen outside of festival spaces. Cinetopia: DOC screens monthly at Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh.
We want this programme to be an opportunity to see important documentary work, as well as provide a space open to everyone where they can reflect and discuss about the films through director Q&As, masterclasses and networking events.
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
20th November - 6.30 pm
Cameo Cinema
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (Mohamed Jabaly, Norway, Palestine, Qatar, 2023, 93 min, TBC Cert)
The young Palestinian director Mohamed Jabaly is visiting a film festival in Tromsø in 2014, when the borders to Gaza close. He finds himself stuck in the arctic winter. Little does he know that it will be seven years before he can see his family again.
Through his personal archive and video calls, he shares his love and longing for his hometown, friends and family, as he tries to make a new life for himself in the arctic. The film is a love letter to Gaza, to his adopted hometown in Tromsø, and to the empowering force of storytelling.
Winner of 2023 IDFA Award for the Best Directing and the 2024 Best Film Award at the One World International Human Rights Film Festival, among other accolades, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL is a story of overcoming a life put on hold by international politics and rigid bureaucracy, told from the inside by a director who uses all his creativity to connect with the world and forge a way forward.
Cinetopia:DOC - Tickets for All
We are happy to offer free tickets for the films in our Cinetopia:DOC programme to people who may face barriers to access our events. These may include, but are not limited to:
Young people under 30 not in full-time work or education
Unwaged, vulnerable or at risk beneficiaries
Those with limited access to independent cinema or the arts as a result of cultural or physical barriers
If you have any questions about our Tickets for All or would like to apply for one free ticket please email us at hello@cinetopia.co.uk
With huge thanks to Take One Action for their Community Ticket Fund of which this initiative is inspired from.
Cinetopia: DOC is supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI, and the Scottish Documentary Institute, and produced by Cinetopia, a hub of activity around filmgoing and filmmaking based in Edinburgh.
DOC
Discussions.
Our DOC programme is about showcasing a platform to celebrate, share, and discuss, and the creative documentary genre. Below are a collection of interviews we have done over the years with filmmakers and experts on the subjects we highlighted as part of this series as well as other documentary filmmakers we have interviewed as part of our radio show & podcast.
Make it stand out
Our Previous Events
WAR GAME
16th October - 7 pm
Cameo Cinema
WAR GAME (Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber, USA, 2024, 94 min, 12A cert.)
Set in the USA on 6th January 2025, WAR GAME imagines a nation-wide insurrection in which members of the US military defect to support the losing Presidential candidate, while the winning candidate and his advisors war game the crisis in the White House situation room.
This hybrid documentary film follows a bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence, and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations as they participate in an unscripted role-play exercise. They only have 6 hours to save American democracy as the country teeters on the brink of civil war.
THE ECHO
THE ECHO (Tatiana Huezo, Mexico and Germany, 2023, 102 min, 12A cert.)
In the remote village of El Eco that exists outside of time, the children care for the sheep and their elders. While the frost and drought punish the land, they learn to understand death, illness and love with each act, word, and silence of their parents. A story about the echo of what clings to the soul, about the certainty of shelter provided by those around us, about rebellion and vertigo in the face of life. About growing up.
This delicate and immersive film from acclaimed director Tatiana Huezo (Prayers for the Stolen, Tempestad), was filmed over 18 months, and won her the 2023 Berlinale Documentary Award.
Accompanying three families as they tend the land and the animals, the director captures children’s sense of wonder and discovery, bringing extraordinary beauty to the everyday through arresting visuals and sound design. In The Echo, she subtly portrays the care-working matriarchy in a country notorious for its innumerable kidnappings of young women and girls.
The film will be followed by a pre-recorded Q&A with director Tatiana Huezo. You can now read or view the interview on our blog here.
THE MARCH ON
ROME
+ Q&A with Mark Cousins
Sunday 26th May
4 pm
Cameo Cinema
THE MARCH ON ROME (Mark Cousins, Italy, 2022, 98 min)
Through little-seen archive and his characteristically cinematic analysis, Mark Cousins narrates the ascent of fascism in Italy and its fall-out across 1930s Europe. Both essay film and historical document, Cousins contextualises history through the now, holding a mirror to a political landscape of a creeping far right and manipulated media.
The film also stars Alba Rohrwacher, interjecting between Mark’s narration and the archival footage to act as a voice for the ordinary people of the time, a woman’s perspective, a subjective view, alongside footage from modern-day Italy. Of these choices Mark says “I wanted to look at this subject from different angles. We of course had to look the archive footage of the time in the eye, and try to show how complicit it was. I also needed to fight against it with scenes which were subjective, about a woman rather than men, and acknowledged the vulnerability of change. The fascists never said that they were wrong.”
UNREELING
DREAMS
Cinetopia:DOC presents “Unreeling Dreams”, a programme of two recent documentary films that will take you across continents and deep down into the realm of film vaults and underground rental video stores through exhilarating cinematic journeys.
KIM’S VIDEO takes us on an absurd but extremely hilarious adventure to retrieve a long gone collection of video tapes. In THE CEMETERY OF CINEMA, the director embarks on an impossible quest to find a lost print believed to be the first film ever made in Guinea.
Against the increasing disconnection with physical media, these films bring fresh perspectives to think in new ways about the value of archival films and the spaces that preserve and present them. Using a variety of performative and unconventional methods, the filmmakers breathe life into the sempiternal question of why accessing archival films remains crucial for our collective cultural identities.
THE CEMETERY OF
CINEMA
Wednesday 17th April
6.15 pm
Cameo Cinema
THE CEMETERY OF CINEMA (Au cimetière de la pellicule, Thierno Souleymane Diallo, France/Senegal/Guinea/Saudi Arabia, 2023, 93 min)
In 1953, Mamadou Touré directed the film Mouramani, considered the first film ever made by an African French-speaking director. However, no one knows where to find a print, neither if one even exists. Guinean director Thierno Souleymane Diallo embarks on a quixotic quest to trace back the film in the hope that he will eventually find a print. Equipped with a video camera and a microphone, he travels through the country, sometimes on the back of a donkey, sometimes barefoot, and sets out to find people who can tell him about the film’s history and its reception. Thus, the director takes us into a journey through Guinea’s film history through deserted cinema halls and abandoned film archives, and eventually finds himself in the caverns of the film archives in France and in the radical community cinema of La Clef in Paris.
Alternating between observational scenes of everyday life, interviews, performative elements and re-enactments, THE CEMETERY OF CINEMA is a multi-layered portrait of a country that is thought to have played a pioneering role in African cinema. A lively and thoughtful exploration of the importance of film archives and the ongoing colonial power held over these, this film is an essential watch in the current reexamination of universal film canons.
KIM’S VIDEO
Saturday 30th March
6.00 pm
Cameo Cinema
(Screened with Closed Captions/SDH)
Q&A (in-person) with Co-Directors David Redmon and Ashley Sabin
KIM’S VIDEO ( David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, USA, 2023, 85 min) For two decades in New York City, Kims’s Video was the go-to video rental store for any cinephile in the city. Originally run by the enigmatic Yongman Kim out of his dry-cleaning business, Mr. Kim amassed a collection of over 55,000 rentals in stores across NYC, and their knowledgeable clerks were your gateway into a treasure trove of rare and esoteric films. That is, until 2008, when Mr. Kim decided to close Kim’s Video and give away his collection to a town in Sicily, Selemi, that promised to take care of it and make the videos available to any previous Kim’s Video members. But when one such member, filmmaker David Redmon, arrived, the presence of Kim’s videos were mysteriously missing.
This playful documentary embraces various filmic forms, from cine-essay and investigative nonfiction to experimental cinema and even heist movies, as it embarks on a quixotic quest to track down what happened to the legendary collection and free it from purgatory.
The co-directors of KIM'S VIDEO, Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, will be joining for an in-person Q&A after the screening. As always with Cinetopia:DOC, we’ll leave time for more discussion and networking after in the Cameo Bar.
Warning: This film contains strobe effects and may potentially trigger seizures.
Thank you to Scottish Documentary Insitute & Matchbox Cineclub/Weird Weekend for making this screening possible.
THE CASTLE
Wednesday 21st Feb
7 pm
Cameo Cinema
+ pre-recorded Q&A with Martin Benchimol
THE CASTLE (Martin Benchimol, 2023) Having worked as a housekeeper all her life, Justina inherits a mansion from her former employer in the middle of the Argentinian pampas, under one condition: she must never leave. In this modern fairy tale, Justina and her daughter will face the challenges of keeping that promise alive.
This screening was in collaboration with IberoDocs 10th Edition.
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST
In Nov & Dec 2023, Cinetopia:DOC presents Portrait of the Artist (as a Young Woman), a programme of two recent documentary films offering modern portraits of women striving to find their place in the art world. How can a female artist access the art world when not originally belonging to it? How much does a woman need to sacrifice in order to be acknowledged as an artist? Despite historical and geographical differences, both films in this programme are an important reminder of the still unequal access to the arts, and the ways women challenge and negotiate this while keeping their integrity.
APOLONIA,
APOLONIA
Wednesday 6th December
6 pm
Cameo Cinema
APOLONIA, APOLONIA (Lea Glob, 2022), winner of Best Feature-Length Documentary at IDFA 2022, and POLITIKEN:DOX Award at CPH:DOX 2023, follows up-and-coming artist Apolonia Sokol over the course of 13 years. This documentary provides a unique perspective into the life and work of this young female artist as she navigates a world divided between established art institutions and capitalistic methods of arts patronage. In the process, the filmmaker herself reflects on her own experience as a female artistic creator.
TISH
Thursday 2nd November 7.00 pm
Cameo Cinema
(Screened with Closed Captions/SDH)
Q&A with Paul Sng
Moderated by Dani Carlaw
TISH (Paul Sng, 2023) is a loving portrait of social documentary photographer, Tish Murtha, which had its world premiere as Sheffield Doc/Fest’s opening 2023 film. In this feature documentary we follow Tish’s daughter, Ella, as she opens up her mother’s archive for the first time on screen to reveal a treasure trove of unseen images, artefacts, letters and diaries. Through these objects and conversations with family members, teachers and friends, the film shines a light on Tish Murtha, who dedicated her life to documenting the lives of working-class communities in North East England from which she came from, but went largely unrecognised in her lifetime.
While different in form, these two documentary films are unique in their ethical approach to their subjects, with two filmmakers, Paul Sng and Lea Glob, who show a great deal of sensitivity to the stories of people who have been marginalised. Like a diptych, where two painted panels attached together make up an artwork, the two films in this programme are distinct but together open up the stories of two female artists who use(d) their own artistic methods as a tool of political empowerment
Our previous DOC programmes
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FRAMING JAPAN
Framing Japan – Visions of Contemporary Documentary Practice, curated by Ren Scateni, was a project that aimed at presenting a different vision of Japan, by showcasing diverse approaches to the documentary practice in Japan encompassing both different periods in the country’s recent history and heterogeneous issues, from investigations of personal spaces to queer representation and environmental problems affecting the population.
The series was part of #BFIJapan 2021: Over 100 years of Japanese Cinema, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network – bfijapan.co.uk
Framing Japan is also funded by The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
Films included:
- Extreme Private Eros Love Song 1974 (1974 | 98 min), Hara Kazuo
- Thus a Noise Speaks (2012 | 38 min), Oda Kaori
- Cenote (2019 | 75 min), Oda Kaori
- Mental (2008 | 135 min), Soda Kazuhiro
- Zero (2020 | 128), Soda Kazuhiro
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LOVE YOUR LOCAL
a programme of documentaries online curated by Amaya Bañuelos Marco and Federica Pugliese, exploring the significance of community.
At a time where social distancing has imposed huge changes to our social habits, this programme explored different aspects of the importance of finding yourself being part of a community. Born at the intersection between someone’s needs and someone else’s willingness to help, the communities depicted in these films are extraordinary examples of people’s desire to support each other and be connected, and show us how in these gatherings one can find friendship, support, and a sense of belonging.
Love Your Local was part of Film FeelsConnected, a UK-wide cinema season, supported by the National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network. Explore all films and events at filmfeels.co.uk
Love Your Local was also supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.
Films included:
-LLEVATE MIS AMORES / Arturo González Villaseñor / Mexico / 2014 / 90’
-LAST OF THE MOHICANS / Max Ploeg / Netherlands / 2019 / 48’
-CENTRAL AIRPORT THF / Karim Aïnouz / Germany / 2018 / 100’
-DAGUERREOTYPES / Agnés Varda / France / 1976 / 80’
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IN THE LIGHT
IN THE LIGHT, directed by Susan Kemp
Sometimes you need to look squint at history to see the women in it — they so often have not been documented, recorded, or commemorated. Today, there are still huge disparities in gender equality, equal pay being a prime example. This massive issue is explored through the lens of the story of the Edinburgh Seven (the first women to study medicine in Britain, but who were prevented from graduating) and a recent day project fighting for their recognition. It is a production that features predominantly women, and in doing so the film does what it’s making clear is so often neglected — documenting and commemorating women well worth remembering.
The screening was followed by a live Q&A with filmmaker Susan Kemp and curator Alison Lacey.
This film programme was curated by Alison Lacey
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INLAND SEA
Cinetopia:DOC was proud to present the Edinburgh premiere of Kazuhiro Soda’s INLAND SEA (Minatomachi, 2018), screened as part of Edinburgh Scalarama! Deemed as one of the masters of contemporary documentary filmmaking, Soda’s method and style follow a strict set of self-established commandments, resulting in a unified style of documentaries that provide an unprecedented access to the subjects and take the viewers on an emotional exploration to the Japanese psyche, culture and landscape.
Soda’s style is strictly observational, keeping the camera rolling and letting the subjects slowly open up to the audiences. The concurring characters in his documentaries are cats, but the focus of his films lays on the intimate and humane portraits of the characters he is following. Soda’s films form intimate bonds between the subjects and the viewer, unearthing incredible stories and capturing highly emotional moments on camera.
Inland Sea (2018) looks at a dying fishing village in rural Japan, and follows its townsfolk through their daily routines, discovering not only the stories of the people but also displaying the slowly disappearing culture and community of the town.
This programme was curated by Ren Scateni
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RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA
Cinetopia: DOC showcased this stunning tribute to legendary musician and film composer Ryuichi Sakamoto with Stephen Nomura Schible’s Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA!
Alongside his work with the Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sakamoto’s film scores include those for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, The Last Emperor, and The Revenant.
Book your ticket here, and join us at the Edinburgh Film Guild on 8th July at 7pm for another round of documentary and discussion!
This film programme was curated by Andy Danet.
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DEAD GOOD
For our second Cinetopia:Doc screening, we showed the new documentary Dead Good from Brighton filmmaker, Rehana Rose.
It is an intimate portrait of those dealing with their dead in modern Britain, supported by a team of women who are ‘giving death back to the people’ and enabling participation during the ritual of care.
“Rose’s patient, observational style lets her get right to the heart of these very personal matters. In doing so, she creates a safe space for viewers to explore issues they might previously have avoided.” – Jenni Kermode
We will be joined by the filmmaker, Rehana Rose for a post-screening Q&A. Rose has made several independent short films before embarking on Dead Good, her first feature documentary. The film will be screened at the beginning of Good Death Week. From May 13-19, people across Scotland will work to promote more open and supportive attitudes to death, dying and bereavement.
This film programme was curated by Alison Lacey and Ally Lantz
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FACES PLACES
Cinetopia: DOC screened of Agnes Varda’s Visages Villages (Faces Places) on Monday 8th of April 2019 in the Edinburgh Film Guild Cinema as its first DOC screening.
When planning Cinetopia’s new documentary strand, we thought what better way to start than with one of our personal favourites from one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Agnès Varda. Sadly, recently we were struck with the news of her passing. Yet, we still believe there is no better way to spend an evening than in the radiant presence of Varda, immersing oneself in her vision, admiring her artistry and honouring her legacy, and we would love to have you join us for a screening and a discussion of all things Agnès.
We screened one of our favourites, the academy award nominated Faces Places (Visages Villages), directed by Varda in collaboration with the visual artist JR. Faces Places is a heart-warming journey through rural France, documenting its people, its stories and the friendships and memories made along the way.
We were joined by Francois Giraud from the University of Edinburgh, an expert in French post-New Wave Cinema and the influence of other arts in Varda’s filmmaking. In true Cinetopia fashion, the screening will feature an introduction to Varda’s work and a lively discussion after the screening.
This programme was curated by Cinetopia co-Founders, Amanda Rogers and Anni Asikainen.
