September 14th, 2012
With The Queen of Versailles marking our 100th theatrical film release over the past couple of weeks we have been running a competition over on our Facebook page, asking our fans to tell us their favourite film from the 100 and why. The responses poured in, with last year's Dreams of a Life topping the poll!
Below is a selection of some of the amazing entries that we got. The winner of the competition is Adam Wilde who said this about Restrepo 'It was a *very* close call between this, Bombay Beach and The Milk of Sorrow, but the haunted and hollowed out young men of Restrepo linger long in the memory. It's a potent, enthralling and sobering piece of filmmaking, and a committed work of serious journalism too.'
On Being Elmo..
Nic Sanchez 'A touching doc that had my emotions on overdrive. Add tears to the list of things Elmo has now inspired'.
On Bill Cunningham New York..
Charlie Thorne 'This film champions practicality, individuality and simplicity. Bill's relentless passion for capturing New York street-style proves that extraordinary things can be found in the everyday, and his touching personal story left me in bits. I also take photographs, and this film persuaded me to switch from Canon to Nikon, JUST to be more like Bill - maybe we could all be a bit more like Bill?'
On Bombay Beach..
Nicola Lees 'I loved this film as it was so lyrical and treated its subjects with such warmth. It could have so easily been a depressing 'issue' film hammering home a blunt message but instead it left me feeling uplifted. The characters remain with me, like friends, to this day - long after I've forgotten many other documentaries I've since watched.'
On Burma VJ...<
Jonathan Davis 'One of my favourite documentaries of all-time. Been heartening to see the situation in Burma improving since, if only slightly. I'd like to think that this film contributed.'
On Countdown to Zero...
James Vader 'I came across the premier event in Liverpool for this at lunch hour last summer and had to just grab a ticket and go see it. It was an amazing documentary, frightful, intriguing and most importantly it set me off on a voyage of exploration into nuclear weapons and disasters and I spread the documentary to many, people simply needed to see this and demand ZERO nuclear weapons on the planet. This is certainly my favourite Dogwoof film, congratulations on the 100th release!'
On Dreams of a Life..
Celine Shadoks 'I can't pretend I have seen the entire Dogwoof catalogue; but amongst the 20 strong docs I have seen, Dreams of a Life is my favourite! I loved that Carol Morley has decided just like that, out of a journal cut, to know more about Joyce; to know something about Joyce. She put all her curiosity and altruistic intention in this very well crafted doc. Thumbs up to her.'
On Even the Rain...
Avie Lyndon 'It's a brilliant mixed-media piece with a complex hopscotch of genres, and a shoo-in as one of my top films of the year. Bollain and Laverty aren't afraid to throw out the rulebook where convention is concerned, combining the rough and ready grit of doc-style footage with the glossy landscapes of the film-within-a-film. Most impressive of all is the David and Goliath conflict at its heart, which buzzes with a resilient, dignified power - incredibly moving. Exceptional, risk-taking filmmaking.'
On 4 Days Inside Guantanamo...
Elhum Irani 'I'd go for this because I think it's such an important film. It's difficult to say it's a 'favourite', because watching it is difficult. But one of the great things about Dogwoof is that its titles include important films, ones that really make you uncomfortable enough about the world to do something about it, and a film like this needs to have a stage, a big one... Alongside films that make you dream and laugh'
On Into Eternity...
David Thomas 'I've seen it 4 times now, twice at the cinema. It's a beautiful, intriguing and unique way of presenting a very complex and important issue to an audience in a compelling and engaging way. How do you make a film about Nuclear waste disposal engaging? Michael Madsen achieves this and more. Profound and thought-provoking. I've recommended it over and over to friends and colleagues.'
On Page One Inside the New York Times...
Alex Lim 'This was a fantastic documentary on an institution fighting 'the good fight' for journalism in a world of fast news, the internet and tabloid exploitation (see: NewsCorp). It made me understand why quality is worth paying for, and it introduced me to Dogwoof docs when I researched the film!'
On Son of Babylon...
Adelle Gardiner 'This film really lingered in my mind. The story was heartbreaking but made me want to know more (like all good Dogwoof films!). It was fabulous to see Iraq on film that isn't newsreel.'
On Tabloid...
Tommy Curtis 'The best of Dogwoof's many great documentary releases because it raises the question at the heart of all documentary. Where does the boundary of truth and fiction actually lie... and it's impossible to tell'
On The Interrupters...
Rob Simpson 'A stunningly sprawling and emotional documentary that hit me HARD.'
On The Island President...
Raghav Modi 'Simply loved the documentary. It's a story about an underdog nation amongst the decision makers taking them head on and making a difference. It's a story about one man standing in front of the world and making them think and reconsider its actions. It's a story about survival and a fight to safeguard the present, past, and future of a nation. Frank, in your face, unapologetic, and an eye opener into world politics. Brilliant stuff!!'
