Discover Movies

An LWT South Bank Show, presented by Melvyn Bragg, exploring the phenomenon of countertenor singing. With its unique, soaring beauty, the high male voice is today enjoying a huge resurgence in popularity. Heirs to the celebrated castrati of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, today's countertenors produce their voices by wholly natural means. In this programme international stars Michael Chance, Andreas Scholl and James Bowman, as well as popstar Jimmy Somerville, shed light on the appeal of the male falsetto. Meanwhile, experts such as Michael White place today's countertenors in their historical context. What emerges is a compelling portrayal of an unmistakable vocal style, rooted in church and operatic tradition, yet completely up-to-date, resonating louder today than at any time in the last two hundred years.

Fans from around the globe share anecdotes about how Billy Connolly inspired them, with contributions from Judi Dench, David Tennant, Andy Murray, Elton John and Peter Kay

In 79 AD, one of the infamous natural disasters in human history occurred when Mount Vesuvius erupted. With speculative dramatizations of various inhabitants' final hours along with detailed documentation of the known facts concerning the eruption, the horrific day is vividly brought to life.

Stephen Dwoskin brings together members of the Ballet Negres dance company, founded in London in 1946.

A look at the sights of East Lothian, Scotland.

Film produced by William K. Dickson’s British Mutoscope and Biograph Company.

Fifty years ago, Princess Anne was one of the most eligible women in the world, but dashing soldier and fellow equestrian Captain Mark Phillips was the one to win her hand. When they tied the knot in a fairy-tale ceremony at Westminster Abbey in November 1973, it would thrust Anne into the limelight like never before and set a precedent for all future royal weddings. Interviewees include former royal reporter Angela Rippon, who talks about the couple's courtship, and the groom's best man Eric Grounds, with detail of the stag do.

George Formby was a huge star of stage and film. In his heyday he was as big as The Beatles, earning vast sums of money on stage and starring in films which broke box office records. Formby's trademark ukulele still inspires millions of dedicated fans, including comedian and performer Frank Skinner, who believes Formby was the greatest entertainer of his time. Playing the ukulele and performing the songs that keep the Formby legend alive today, Skinner follows the music hall star's extraordinary rise to fame and fortune, explores his worldwide popularity and reveals the ruthless exploitation that surrounded his sudden and tragic death.

Harpist Catrin Finch takes a musical journey to discover the ancient and fascinating history of the harp in Wales and the world, with interviews and performances from internationally-renowned guests including Alan Stivell, Carlos Orosco, Alemu Aga, Isabelle Perrin and Elinor Bennett.

Overview of Vorticism, a radical art movement of the early 20th Century.

A candid and revealing insight into the private life and public career of Richard Harris. One of the most remarkable actors of his generation, the documentary explores Harris’s complex and, at times, contradictory character. Each of his three sons — Jared, Jamie and Damian — brings their own perspective to bear as they summon the ghost of their late father to the screen.

The sinking of the RMS Titanic remains one of the most enduring and mysterious tragedies of the 20th century. For decades, investigators and amateurs alike have floated theories for why it occurred and who was to blame for the extraordinary loss of life, but no one answer could fully explain what happened. Until now. To mark the 100th anniversary of the infamous disaster, Smithsonian Channel will premiere Titanic's Final Mystery. The two-hour special investigates a century of theories and uncovers astonishing new forensic evidence that proves the most likely theory for the case.

Portrait of a fractious Welsh village near Merthyr Tydfil. Life in the valley isn't what it was, there's no pit in Deri now, but the humour survives, and it's amazingly peaceful considering.

Seventy years on, brothers Colin and Ewan McGregor take viewers through the key moments of the Battle of Britain, when 'the few' of the RAF faced the might of the Nazi Luftwaffe. As they fly historic planes, meet the veterans, explore the tactics and technology, Colin and Ewan discover the importance of the Battle and the surviving legacy of the 1940's campaign for the modern RAF.

Witness the rise and fall of The Warehouse, a rave venue from Plymouth and times gone by now reduced to a derelict shell. We explore its history, its people and the future. An amateur filmmaker-explorer finds the building in an empty derelict state, long after the prosperous life and energy it endured through the 90s. Through a combination of archives and stories of people who lived there, the film explores through the medium of analogue what once was and how even a now silent derelict shell can become the centre of the universe.

"The Fall" depicts certain scenes in New York City between October 1967 and March 1968, shot by the independent filmmaker, Peter Whitehead. It is a very personal documentary, and Whitehead appears in a large number of scenes, and we hear his lengthy ruminations on the state of the United States and the war in Vietnam.

The special includes behind the scenes footage with the teen pop star across the pond in London where he performs on The X Factor UK and collaborates with British rapper, Tinie Tempah.

Renzo Gracie: Legacy is a 2008 documentary film about Brazilian jiu jitsu pioneer Renzo Gracie, directed by Gethin Aldous and written by Aldous, Steve Allen and Adrian Miller. Shot over a ten-year period, it shows the origins of the sport of Mixed martial arts from its bare knuckle days to the explosion of the sport in both Japan and America.

A team of international scientists attempt to document the first-ever image of a black hole.

Adrian Chiles takes a long hard look at his own love of boozing. He wants to find out why he and many others don't think they are addicted to alcohol, despite finding it almost impossible to enjoy life without it.

Dive into a real-time investigation of the shocking daylight robbery at Paris' Louvre Museum. Former thieves, security staff, eyewitnesses and investigators piece together the crime and ongoing chase to recover France's crown jewels before it's too late.

The largest leisure and shopping complex in Europe, the Metro Centre in Tynemouth, and its creator John Hall.

A documentary charting the history of Hastings Pier from its construction in 1872 through two major fires and also its use as a significant British music venue, playing host to gigs by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Genesis, Tom Jones, Pink Floyd and The Sex Pistols.

An intimate portrait of an old man coming to terms with own mortality and letting go off his magnum opus - his garden. Living through an autumn of his life, he reminisces about his life filled with hard work, love for nature and onions.

A look at the appearances of the Daleks and Davros in the classic Doctor Who era.

Photographer Paul Fusco had a coveted place on the train carrying Robert Kennedy's body, with the assignment of covering the funeral -- but he ended up using all his film on the people he saw from his window, lined up to pay their respects.

In the 1970s, Satish Bhaskar became a turtle walker: He walked nearly the entire coastline of India and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar Islands in search of sea turtles. Carrying a camera and a notepad, he documented turtles’ nesting areas and tried to save them from extinction. Then the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck, putting all his work and the creatures he loved in peril.

Documentary about the production of a small town weekly newspaper from reporting to printing.

Route One is the first major U.S. highway. 5000 km along the Atlantic coast, from the Canadian border to the tip of Florida. Doc, a physician who spent many years in Africa, returns to the U.S. and decides to reconnect with his home country by walking the legendary Route One.

Oceanographer Sylvia Earle and a cast of marine scientists tell the story of the incredible work being done to protect our oceans fragile ecosystem.

"This picture was taken from the front of a rapidly moving launch through one of the most beautiful stretches of the Grand Canal, showing many magnificent historical palaces. The photographic work is unusually fine."

Set against the backdrop of 1980s Britain, four young men – Boy George, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig, and Jon Moss – formed a multi-racial, ethnically diverse, and sexually liberated band with a style and sound that challenged the status quo during the era of New Romantics and Margaret Thatcher’s Britain.

A coming of age story following a young meerkat pup, Kolo, growing up in the Kalahari desert; and an inspiring look at how one family's connection to each other and their surroundings is a model of resilience and fortitude for us all. Shot using ground-breaking techniques, this dramatised documentary is a one-of-a-kind presentation from The Weinstein Company and the BBC, featuring narration by Paul Newman.

Through concert performances and interviews, this film offers us a comprehensive look at the British pioneer rock group, The Who. It captures their zany craziness and outrageous antics from the initial formation of the group in 1964 to 1978. It notably features the band's last performance with long-term drummer Keith Moon, filmed at Shepperton Studios in May 1978, three months before his death.

A look at the extraordinary life and career of the influential director, choreographer, and cinematographer known for his self-destructive nature.

An intimate, illuminating and emotionally powerful exploration of Nick Cave’s creative process and enduring influence, told through the eyes of his closest collaborators, friends and the visionaries he’s inspired.

Louis Theroux travels to San Francisco where a group of pioneering medical professionals help children who say they were born in the wrong body transition from boy to girl or girl to boy at ever younger ages.

Vaiva Dunaitytė, a gifted 20-year-old musician, shares her lifelong journey with the Lithuanian plucked string instrument, Kanklės- an ancient tradition she’s transforming for the modern world.

Le Mans the biggest motorsport event in the world, is truly a spectacle like no other. The twenty-four hour race is considered the most physically and mentally demanding race on earth. Man and machine push themselves to the limits of endurance, many never make it past the finish line, and some never make it home.

Featurette documenting the making of the film "Death On The Nile".

In a career that lasted only ten years, Vincent Van Gogh painted one subject more than any other: himself. This is the story of Vincent told using eight of his most iconic self-portraits.

An ex gang member's love for pigs spurs him on a life-risking mission to uncover the truth behind 'bacon'. Director and Activist Joey Carbstrong goes undercover with fellow activists to infiltrate and expose the deeply ingrained corruption and heartbreaking abuse that lies at the heart of the UK’s ‘pork industry’.

Created from a treasure trove of archive, Queerama traverses a century of gay experiences, encompassing persecution and prosecution, injustice, love and desire, identity, secrets, forbidden encounters, sexual liberation and pride. The soundtrack weaves the lyrics and music of John Grant, Goldfrapp and Hercules & Love Affair with the images and guides us intimately into the relationships, desires, fears and expressions of gay men and women in the 20th century – a century of incredible change.

A documentary about the life and works of Margaret Tait.

Tent pegging is an ancient South Asian cavalry sport taken up by British colonial officers. There is now a national UK team, but also a burgeoning Pakistani British circuit, featuring in this film - a short which blows the dust off traditional tales of Empire.

A visually spectacular landscape of lush colours, futuristic screens and wild images of nature that comes alive with Björk's wondrous music, as she performs live alongside musicians and choirs of flutes and voices.

Louis Theroux travels to Johannesburg, where the residents find themselves increasingly besieged by crime as he looks at the issue of law and disorder.

The greatest amphitheatre ever built by the Romans and a monument to blood and brutality. But what were the origins of the Colosseum and the gruesome spectacles performed within? With unique access to new archaeology, Colosseum: Rise and Fall explores the true purpose of the Colosseum and the network of amphitheatres spread throughout the Roman Empire. Visiting sites across Europe and north Africa, exploring finds that reveal both the scope of the games and the secrets of the gladiators, Colosseum: Rise and Fall charts the expansion of Rome and the ultimate decline of one of history’s most barbaric empires, through the most iconic of Roman landmarks, the Colosseum.

In the exhilarating yet murky world of high-end art, an astonishing story is that of Inigo Philbrick, an enigmatic art prodigy. Philbrick's journey from revered art dealer to notorious swindler is as dramatic as it is scandalous.

This honest and often blackly hilarious film shows Martyn at home in Ireland, during the lead-up to and aftermath of an operation to have one of his legs amputated below the knee. Contributors include sometime collaborator and buddy Phil Collins, the late Robert Palmer, Ralph McTell, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, fellow hellraiser bassist Danny Thompson, John's ex-wife Beverley Martyn and younger generation fan Beth Orton. We see a man incapable of compromising his creative vision, from his folk club roots in the Sixties, through a career of continuous musical experimentation. Along the way there is a surreal roll-call of accidents and incidents, including a collision with a cow

The intimate story of a nine-year-old girl living in one of the oldest off-grid communities in the UK. We follow the fledging climate activist as she navigates her way back into traditional schooling and proudly speaks up for her passionate belief in the environment.

A short, hand-tinted promotional film made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera company to show off the new wardrobe and set dressing for the 1926 production of The Mikado. About six scenes from The Mikado are shown, then designer Charles Rickets steps onto the stage with a final look at the costumes and the film ends. The players in the production are legendary Savoyards, well-known from recordings of the period, but this is the only time a movie camera caught them in their roles, though sadly minus the singing. About four nitrate prints of this film are known to exist; two of which are at the BFI in London.

Look back on Robbo's incredible journey with the Reds. Robbo: My Liverpool premieres on All Red Video on Thursday 28th of May

Director Steve McQueen films Trip-Hop artist Tricky recording 'Girls' In the tight confines of a recording booth, the musician Adrian Thomas, also known as Tricky, repeatedly performs the song 'girls' from his album Blowback (2001). The intimate and highly charged atmosphere of the studio is complemented by lyrics that explore the relationships between girls, boys and absent fathers.

Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan travels to India to investigate the issue of child trafficking. As the capital Delhi prepares to host the Commonwealth Games, she talks to young boys just rescued from factories in the slums. When she learns that many have been sent away with traffickers by their own parents, Lindsay sets off to find out why. In West Bengal, parents, child victims, and a former trafficker share their stories and reveal the desperate poverty which fuels this cruel trade in children. As India's economy is booming, Lindsay asks what can be done to stop this abuse.

Behind-the-scenes documentary of all the series in Big Brother.

Archaeologists believe that a massive grave in a vicarage garden in Derbyshire may be the last resting place of a vast army of thousands of warriors that invaded Britain in the ninth century.

Find out what Radio One was like back in 1988