Tales of Television Centre

Who Said Macbeth

December 2021 •English

Although the past two years have been challenging for the Theatre industry, they also showed its incredible strength and resilience. Through interviews with West End performers and creatives, this documentary outlines the difficulties presented to our industry over the course of the pandemic, as well as highlighting changes - both positive and negative - that have come from it. An emotional reflection on a battle it was worth fighting for. All profits will be going to 'Acting for Others', an organisation that provides support to all theatre workers through 14 member charities. We hope these stories full of passion for Theatre inspire you just as much as they inspired us!

At The Helm | The Making of Lotawana

May 2022 •English

This hilarious, behind-the-scenes adventure shows the unforgettable, year-long production that Trevor Hawkins and his skeleton-crew of endearing renegades went through to bring their gritty film, Lotawana, to life.

Fieldwork Footage

January 1928 •English

Under the tutelage of anthropologist Franz Boas (her former Columbia professor) and Harlem Renaissance arts patron Charlotte Osgood Mason, Zora Neale Hurston spent nearly two years, from 1927 to 1929, studying the folkloric customs, work songs, spirituals, and vernacular language of African American communities along the River Road and from New Orleans to Florida.

Pineapple Express Ride

September 2021 •Malayalam

The subjective phases humans encounter during the consumption of standard amount of Lysergic acid Diethylamide or LSD.

Love and Betrayal in India: The White Mughal

September 2015 •English

Historian William Dalrymple travels to Hyderabad in India to explore the remarkable 18th-century love affair between a British diplomat and the Muslim princess he married. Tensions ran high when an Englishman fell for a Mughal ruler's daughter.

Barefoot Empress

July 2021 •English

A 96-year-old woman in a Kerala village pursues her lifelong dream of getting an education. Having never gone to school, she must start at the beginning...first grade.

The Coffee Trail with Simon Reeve

January 2014 •English

Adventurer and journalist Simon Reeve heads to Vietnam to uncover the stories behind the nation's morning pick-me-up. While we drink millions of cups of the stuff each week, how many of us know where our coffee actually comes from?

L'Île-de-France, berceau de la télévision

January 2022 •French

In 1942, television was born in Paris, rue Cognacq-Jay. Today, around 60% of programs are filmed in Plaine-Saint-Denis. Baptiste Morel receives various guests to return to this story.

The Secret Policeman

October 2003 •English

Undercover reporter Mark Daly reveals racism among police recruits in Manchester, England.

Pugin: God's Own Architect

January 2012 •English

Augustus Northmore Welby Pugin is far from being a household name, yet he designed the iconic clock tower of Big Ben as well as much of the Palace of Westminster. The 19th-century Gothic revival that Pugin inspired, with its medieval influences and soaring church spires, established an image of Britain which still defines the nation. Richard Taylor charts Pugin's extraordinary life story and discovers how his work continues to influence Britain today.

British Columbia: Canada's Olympic Wilderness

February 2010 •English

Graham Bell and Ed Leigh journey southwards through the frozen province of British Columbia, Canada, towards the home of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. En route, they travel through remote communities cut off from civilisation through the winter, learning how the locals survive off the land. Leigh and Bell experience this harsh life for themselves alongside miners, loggers and hunters, and find out what it is like to function and work in such harsh conditions. Their journey ends with a gruelling trek on foot through the spectacular Coast Range Mountains into Whistler, one of the Olympic venues.

A Cara De Perro Zoo – La Pelicula

May 2012 •Spanish

Documentary about freestyle competition and hip-hop culture in Argentina.

Goodbye Che Bei

Invalid date •English

En direct de... Nos studios des Buttes-Chaumont

May 1958 •French

The World's Most Famous Train

December 2015 •English

During its nine-month-long season, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express makes over 60 journeys, covering 150,000 kilometres, with the majority of trips between London and Venice. The train is comprised of 17 unique 1920s carriages that have transported a host of elite individuals across Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey for more than a century. This documentary follows the stories of the staff and passengers as the train makes its way across Europe, with some customers having paid more than £2,000 for the privilege.

The World's Most Expensive Paintings

July 2011 •English

Art critic Alastair Sooke tracks down the ten most expensive paintings to sell at auction, and investigates the stories behind the astronomic prices art can reach. Gaining access to the glittering world of the super-rich, Sooke discovers why the planet's richest people want to spend their millions on art.

My Self Absorbed Documentary Project

January 2022 •English

After being tasked with creating a piece of work summarizing their filmmaking journey, 18 year old Lewis Bedford reflects on their history in film and video.

Ancient Alien Origins

February 2017 •English

Researchers discover that Aliens from another world assisted in the evolution of man and were the genesis of a very real bloodline that remains intact today. The Aliens left Earth millennia ago, but the signs are growing daily.

O Pranto do Artista

May 2018 •Portuguese

The last days of the Feitosa family circus. Iracema and her family share their life experiences in a meta-documentary that explores the making of two types of artistic production and their respective crisis: Circo Young and LabCine Collective, responsible for this movie.

One Continuous Take: Kay Mander's Life in Film

March 2001 •English

Kay Mander kept training and social issues to the fore in the 1940s with her innovative documentaries. Mander, now living in Kirkcudbrightshire, recalls her life and work, with clips from many of her films.