Dramatic retelling of the fateful last voyage of the Nantucket whaleship Essex. When the Essex is attacked and sunk by a sperm whale in November 1820, her crew take to three fragile whalers. Alone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the men must decide whether to head for the nearest islands - a thousand miles downwind to the west - or set out on an epic journey of almost three thousand miles to reach the South American mainland. Fear of cannibals forces them to choose South America. Almost three months later, the first whaler is rescued by another whaleship. Only three men are still alive. A week later the captain's whaler is also rescued, with just two men aboard. The third whaler is never found. This is a story of human endurance and what men in extremis will do to survive.
Drama inspired by the life of Walter Tull who, after years in an orphanage, went on to become a professional footballer and then the first black commissioned officer to lead British troops during WW1. The action concerns Tull's turbulent passage from ordinary soldier to extraordinary officer at officer training camp, where he had to face his own demons as well as fight the prejudice that surrounded him
A charming story about a West Indian girl who moves to 1950s London. Marcia has spent most of her 11 years living with her Jamaican grandmother but is sent to damp, dark London to start a new life with her parents. Missing her gran terribly, Marcia is surrounded by bullying schoolgirls, racism on TV and a jealous younger brother... Only her favourite pop star will help her feel at home. Concrete Garden is a wonderfully observed graduation film from director Alrick Riley. With warm performances from a young cast and exquisite detail in the production design, this tender short film powerfully evokes the trials and tribulations faced by kids settling in 1950s Britain.
A charming story about a West Indian girl who moves to 1950s London. Marcia has spent most of her 11 years living with her Jamaican grandmother but is sent to damp, dark London to start a new life with her parents. Missing her gran terribly, Marcia is surrounded by bullying schoolgirls, racism on TV and a jealous younger brother... Only her favourite pop star will help her feel at home. Concrete Garden is a wonderfully observed graduation film from director Alrick Riley. With warm performances from a young cast and exquisite detail in the production design, this tender short film powerfully evokes the trials and tribulations faced by kids settling in 1950s Britain.
Powerful, uncompromising drama about two boys' struggle for survival in the nightmare world of Britain's notorious Borstal Reformatory. [This is the feature film version Alan Clarke made after the BBC banned the original before its scheduled TV broadcast (see Scum (1977)].
