It’s really hard for we, at Raindance to ignore the off-beat. I’m Denise and I’ve been the Raindance Open Short Courses Director for 10 years. Off·beat docs are some of my personal favourites.
Here are 5 amazing documentaries we have in Raindance 2024. Each one of these films is unconventional and different. They will challenge, or surprise, or shock, but they all have huge appeal and will all leave a big impression that will still be with you when you come back for more the next day.
1. Dog War
June 23, 2024 | 2:55 pm | Prince Charles Cinema | Tickets
Nominated for Spirit of Raindance Award
Q&A with Director Andrew Abrahams
I found this hard to watch, but incredibly touching and action packed. DOG WAR follows a team of war-hardened, canine-loving combat veterans fighting to stop the dog meat trade in South Korea. Covertly and overtly they infiltrate hidden farms and markets to rescue as many dogs as possible.
2. Peaky Blinders: The Redemption on Thomas Shelby
Nominated for Spirit of Raindance Award
Rambert’s thrilling stage adaptation “The Redemption of Thomas Shelby” written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, with direction and choreography by Rambert’s artistic director Benoit Swan Pouffer, performed by the captivating Rambert dancers to an iconic soundtrack.
3. Shari & Lamb Chop
June 22, 2024 | 12:30 pm | Genesis | Tickets
Nominated for Spirit of Raindance Award
The legendary ventriloquist Shari Lewis rose to stardom with her beloved sock puppet Lamb Chop. When her popular children’s show gets cancelled, Shari must find a way to make peace with her alter ego. Together they spend decades reinventing themselves until Shari’s unlikely comeback where she becomes a fierce advocate for children’s education.
A couple from the rest that I feel like I want to see
I didn’t get a chance to see the preview screeners of these documentaries, but they look fascinating, and I will definitely seeing these too.
4. Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound
June 21, 2024 | 6:00 pm | Genesis | Tickets
Nominated for Best Documentary Feature
Over 25 years and 10 studio albums Mogwai have defined their own musical genre and built a loyal following by staying true to their sound and true to their roots. The film takes us on a journey from th very beginnings in the mid 1990s, to the band writing their tenth studio album during lockdown.
5. The Man With 1000 Faces
June 26, 2024 | 6:00 pm | Prince Charles Cinema | Tickets
Nominated for Best Documentary Feature
Q&A with Sonia Kronlund
He goes by the names of Alexandre, Ricardo or Daniel. He calls himself a surgeon or an engineer, Argentinian or Brazilian. He lives with four women at the same time, adapting his story and personality traits to each one. A first-person investigation into an impostor with a thousand imaginary lives.
There’s so much more!
With a wonderful collection of feature films, here is one I am definitely going to see:
Stranger’s Case
June 24, 2024 | 8:40 pm | Curzon Soho | Tickets
Nominated for Best International Feature
Content Warning: violence
Tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, starting a chain reaction of events involving five different families in four different countries.
Did You Know?
- Raindance Film Festival is considered one of the top fifteen film festivals in the world?
- The Higher Education programme at Raindance Film School offers HND, BA and MA in Filmmaking and Screenwriting?
- Raindance members support indie film, and enjoy a range of member benefits
- You can call us on +44 (0) 207 930 3412
Denise Foley was employed by the BBC for 32 years and worked as a Vision Mixer / Director across a range of programmes and genres, from drama to current affairs, from entertainment to factual, from music to comedy. She went freelance in 2011 and was fortunate to have a once in a life time experience working in the central control room of the athletics stadium at the 2012 London Olympics. Not long after that she discovered Raindance and was blown away by the diversity and maverick nature of the films, and a whole new career began.
