Mark Adams

A balanced, at times sad and chilling, investigation into the reality and impact of laboratory research into animals, Tony Jones’s rigorously made documentary gives room for both sides of the argument both in terms of animal welfare and the medical benefits. The film is largely seen through the eyes of Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, a primatologist turned animal welfare advocate, whose insight, knowledge and compassion forms the spine of the film.

Within a bleak and fading Armenian retirement home – where the ages of residents range from 60 to over 90 - a theatre director sets about casting for his ensemble production of ‘Shakespeare’s Sins.’ While, in the play, we see how Shakespeare’s characters call him to account for their tragic fates, the documentary equally offers the opportunity to delve into the diverse and complex lives of this aged community. 

The rise of Elon Musk’s ground-breaking electric car operation Tesla serves as a fascinating backdrop for Andreas Pichler’s jarring and revealing feature documentary, as a fatal accident in Florida triggers a protracted lawsuit to hold the company accountable, bringing into serious doubt the company’s much-hyped “autopilot” function.

An enthralling, illuminating and warm-hearted examination of the life and work of a woman who was self-aware of her image and abilities, but who defied the expectations of the tinsel town system, ultimately charting her own course away from the movie world.

A beautifully mounted documentary-fable, The Tale of Silyan is an astute blend of environmental messaging and magical realism, all tightly structured and crafted to offer up an easy to watch (and economical) film that at times feels more like a genial folk tale than a movie with a hard-hitting eco message. That said, within Kotevska’s unique construction the whole thing works rather wonderfully.

A beautifully shot examination of the troubled life of a young welder in modern-day Belarus trying to unite her fractured family against all the odds, Welded Together plays out like a narrative drama, but with a greater sense of emotional resonance, and made with a real sense of heart and compassion.

An affectionate and gently insightful examination of an immigrant story, Karla Murthy’s respectful and thoughtful film charts her father’s journey from India to America, mainly based on a series of recorded interviews with him while he was working the night shift at a Texas gas station. What the doc does quite wonderfully is act as a warm-hearted tribute to an immigrant life and a reflection on the importance of family kindness.

It takes a brave, thoughtful - and importantly, compassionate - person to focus their comedy spotlight onto one of the most awful situations of modern times, and that is exactly what Israeli activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi does in her comedy show, which draws on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, offering up a prescient and unique voice amidst all the horror.

A charmingly meditative and gently illuminating portrait of the remarkable – and resolutely independent - 90-year-old Agatha Bock as she goes through daily life within her ancestral 54-acre farm, where she lives alone and still tends the land (despite ill-health and a broken thumb), cultivating heirloom seeds that have been passed down through generations.

David Bim’s impressive observational documentary debut offers an astonishingly visceral and powerful portrayal of a couple struggling to survive on the margins of Cuban society, all set against the backdrop of a country reeling from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic. The film won both the Special Jury Award and International Critics’ (FIPRESCI) Award at Visions du Réel 2025.