The Norwin Band 2024 Season Documentary

AWAKE!(en)

AWAKE is a short experimental documentary about a liminal moment in the calendar - midwinter - observed by the inhabitants of a small rural village in England. A time outside time, magic is everywhere and anything is possible. Bearing witness to this turning point, the inhabitants gather for a wassail - a centuries old thanksgiving ritual in which folk gather to honour the slow return of the sun and bless the apple trees whose fruit are essential to the village ecosystem, not least the crumbles, juice and cider that sustains them throughout the year.

The Promise of Music(es)

The documentary accompanied the work of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

In unison(fr)

Marlon Williams: Two Worlds(en)

Follow the charming Aotearoa New Zealand singer-songwriter on a life-changing journey of self-exploration as he embraces his roots and creates his first album in te reo Māori.

Hello! My Name is Blotto: The Movie(en)

Scrappy documentary about a band that flew too close to the sun to make it really big. Albany, NY's Blotto rose from the ashes of the Star-Spangled Washboard Band and scored an unlikely hit with I Wanna Be A Lifeguard in the early 80's thanks in part to getting airplay on MTV when the network launched August 1, 1981. The film follows their struggles to land a major label deal despite huge success with touring and releasing their own EPs and Albums. First-time director Rob Lichter (aka Bert Blotto) puts together a funny, heart-felt portrait of the musical pranksters that is sometimes heartbreaking despite all the laughs.

Africa Unbottled(en)

Hosted by Val Kilmer, the documentary follows playwright Nicholas Ellenbogen as he travels to remote communities in six different African countries. In each community, the residents have taken an holistic and somewhat controversial approach to managed wildlife care.

The Commandant's Shadow(en)

While Hans Jurgen Höss enjoyed a happy childhood in the family villa at Auschwitz, Jewish prisoner Anita Lasker-Wallfisch was trying to survive the notorious concentration camp. At the heart of this film is the historic and inspiring moment – eight decades later – when the two come face-to-face. This is the first time the descendant of a major war criminal meets a survivor in such a private and intimate setting, Anita’s London living room. Together with their children, Kai Höss and Maya Lasker-Wallfisch, the four protagonists explore their very different hereditary burdens.

Passing Clouds(en)

In rural Scotland, a flock of sheep is sheared to survive the summer while a shepherd finds protection during the winter thanks to the wool. Are the clouds above them simply witnessing the process or do they actually take part in it? Shot on Super 8 with its characteristic unexpected light leaks, Passing Clouds explores a different possibility to the birth of clouds. Throughout the film, the sheep, the shepherd and his dogs guide us towards understanding the mystery of this mythical cycle based on what happens once a fleece is no longer attached to a sheep's body.

The Noise of Time(es)

In the town of Xoco, the spirit of an old villager awakens in search of its lost home. Along its journey, the ghost discovers that the town still celebrates its most important festivities, but also learns that the construction of a new commercial complex called Mítikah will threaten the existence of both the traditions and the town itself.

Fortunes is our family name(en)

Fortunes is our family name is a short documentary showcasing the heritage and tradition of a dying craft, emphasising the importance of keeping these historic processes and their proprietors alive and in business. We capture the daily life of Barry Brown and touch upon the history of Fortunes Kippers in Whitby.

Why Dinosaurs?(en)

A dinosaur-obsessed teen and his filmmaker father travel the world interviewing paleontologists about the latest discoveries, tracking down the crew of Jurassic Park, digging up 150-million-year-old bones, and meeting dino fanatics of all walks of life.

The Endurance(en)

Documentary on the Shackleton Antartic expedition. A retelling of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated expedition to Antarctica in and the crew of his vessel 'The Endurance', which was trapped in the ice floes and frigid open ocean of the Antarctic in 1914. Shackleton decided, with many of his crew injured and weak from exposure and starvation, to take a team of his fittest men and attempt to find help. Setting out in appalling conditions with hopelessly inadequate equipment, they endured all weather and terrain and finally reached safety. Persuading a local team of his confidence that the abandoned team would still be alive, he set out again to find them. After almost 2 years trapped on the ice, all members of the crew were finally rescued.

Seven Days To Sidmouth(en)

Following Simon on his maiden voyage with Eddie, his horse, travelling on foot from Dorset to Devon in time for the Sidmouth Folk Festival. Meeting friends and strangers along the way, a glimpse into the life of a British Traveller.

The Farm on Our Street(en)

A short documentary film that showcases Hackney City Farm in East London.

Kamel Messaoudi - His Life, His Work(ar)

On December 10, 1998, Kamel Messaoudi died in a traffic accident at the age of 37, at the height of his fame. In the early 1990s, when Algiers chaâbi was struggling to renew itself and attract young people, Kamel, born on January 30, 1961 in Algiers, into a modest family, achieved great success with his first album, notably featuring Echema’a (the candle) and other tracks where he did not hesitate to shake up the old repertoire, adding his own words, closer to the reality of an Algeria then bereaved by the violence of the dark decade of the 90s, and composing melodies supported by instruments such as the acoustic guitar or the piano.

Tom Cruise : la dernière légende d'Hollywood(fr)

Tom Cruise is one of the last remaining superstars of world cinema. A portrait of one of the most powerful, but also most secretive, men in Hollywood.

Chaplin et "Les temps modernes", La voie du silence(fr)

In 1936, the sound film had already been around for a decade. Nevertheless, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) made another silent film, "Modern Times", which only used sound effects as a dramaturgical device. Speaking is reserved for the apparatus alone. The film became a monument in the history of cinema for this very reason.

Ian Dury: On My Life!(en)

Autobiographical documentary in which Ian Dury, fighting a battle with cancer to which he would later succumb, recalls his life and career. With contributions from painter Peter Blake and members of Dury's band, the Blockheads.

Antoine de Caunes : la vie rêvée d'un enfant du rock(fr)

Documentary on Antoine de Caunes, a French television presenter, comedian, actor, journalist, writer and film director.

Live from art or die trying(es)

This documentary explores the perspectives of three Venezuelan artists from three different generations on what it means to be an artist in Venezuela.