Renowned filmmaker Claire Simon steps into high schools across France to explore the work of the acclaimed author Annie Ernaux, capturing how it is received by young people today. Writing Life - Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students screens from 16 May. ✍️

In 2001, filmmaker Kamal Aljafari took a road trip through Gaza, searching for a former cellmate from his time in prison. With Hasan in Gaza transforms forgotten footage into a cinematic reflection on memory, loss and the passage of time, capturing a Gaza of the past. Screens Sat 9 May, 4pm

An unlikely duo try (and try again) to fly nonstop around the world in a hot air balloon, in John Dower's thrilling film about adventure and adversity. The Balloonists takes us along as they endure the increasing challenges of three weeks in a pod sailing above earth and sea. 🎈 From 23 May.

Montreal, 1969: As a burgeoning civil rights movement gathers momentum, student protesters take over a university building in a challenge to institutional racism. True North offers poignant account of events that are as relevant now as they were revolutionary then. From 22 May.

Today London! Catch "Ghost in the Machine" **extended London preview run @berthadochouse.bsky.social ! TODAY, FRI 24th APRIL, 3:00 PM SAT 25th APRIL, 6:00 PM SUN 26th APRIL, 4:10 PM Mon 27th APRIL, 6:30 PM WED 29th APRIL, 4:20 PM THU 30th APRIL, 8:30 PM "Asks different questions" @forbes.com

Despite making hundreds of silent films that captivated audiences from Naples to New York, Italy's first female director, Elvira Notari, was relegated to the margins of film history for half a century. Join us for Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence + filmmaker Q&A on 6 May

Ex-CIA spymaster Peter Sichel (who passed away last year, aged 102) led an extraordinary, storied life - from escaping Nazi Germany, to setting up the CIA's operations in post-war Berlin and becoming a key player in Cold War espionage. The Last Spy plays from Fri 24 Apr. 🕵️

⚽️ Ultras takes you inside the passionate world of football’s most devoted fans. ⚽️ Kicking off at Bertha DocHouse from Sat 25 April!

Sometimes we make suggestions, and sometimes we really mean it. This week? You really, really need to watch Ghost In the Machine @berthadochouse.bsky.social Find in-person screening times here 👇 citizensreunited.substack.com/p/lets-all-g...

This film is not about machines. It is about power. Ghost in the Machine interrogates who builds AI, who benefits from it, and who bears the cost. Playing from the Fri 24 April

Join us on 28 Apr for a screening of The Gas Station Attendant + virtual Q&A with director Karla Murthy, as part of our year-round collab w/ @sheffdocfest.bsky.social "Deftly explores personal histories embedded within the national fabric." - @povmagazine.bsky.social dochouse.org/event/the-ga...

Set in the mountainous borderlands between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Searching for Satyrus follows filmmaker and photographer Rena Effendi, in pursuit of a critically endangered butterfly named in honour of her absent father, an enigmatic Soviet entomologist. Searching for Satyrus shows from 1 May 🦋

Ukraine's young Deputy Prime Minister must take charge of securing her country's future, in a film about ideals, diplomacy and international political will. Racing against time to get Ukraine into the EU, Olha becomes the face of a nation redefining its place in Europe. The Eukrainian opens 1 May.

"Exposes the double-edged nature of film and recording technology as a medium of both surveillance and, when in [Raoul] Peck’s capable hands, of cautionary subversion." - Sight & Sound Magazine Orwell 2+2=5 is now showing.

In 1993, Bekir Hasanović purchased a handheld camcorder, and began recording in the midst of the Bosnian war. Thirty years later, his son deciphers this tragic history of not only his family, but an entire people. My Father's Diaries opens this Saturday at Bertha DocHouse.

Ultras takes you inside the passionate world of football’s most devoted fans. ⚽ Filmed across Argentina, Egypt, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Sweden, Indonesia, and Great Britain, the film immerses viewers in the raw energy and mystique of this subculture. Showing from Saturday 25 April.

When the CIA discouraged spymaster Peter Sichel from writing his memoirs and returned a heavily redacted manuscript, the sharp as ever 102-year-old decided it was time to tell his own story - unredacted. The Last Spy opens Friday 24 April.

LONDON CALLING! Join us for a preview before our official UK theatrical tour! @berthadochouse.bsky.social Bertha's Doc House at the Curzon Bloomsbury Sat April 25 @ 18:00 Sun April 26 @ 16:10 Tues April 28 @ 20:30 "Essential viewing amidst vast AI spending" @forbes.com

A complex power structure governs the lives of Dalit poppy farmers in India, who are caught between the corruption of government officials and the lure of the black market. I, Poppy opens on Friday 17 April.

On Thursday, we hosted a fantastic screening of Matabeleland + Q&A with director Nyasha Kadandara and special guests. A rare exploration of vulnerability in African manhood, Matabeleland is now showing. dochouse.org/event/matabe...

Three MiniDV tapes of life in Gaza from 2001 were recently rediscovered - a testament to a place and time that no longer exists. With Hasan in Gaza transforms this forgotten footage into a cinematic reflection on memory, loss and the passage of time. Screens 9 May.

A lyrical and deeply moving portrait of isolation and hope in Japan. Dear Tomorrow is both a stark reminder of how isolating modern life can be and a testament to the power of community, offering a glimpse into potential solutions for a global crisis. Now showing.

Faris is a trans man and lead singer of an openly queer punk band in Malaysia. Together with his bandmates Yon and Yoyo, they use their music to fight for LGBTQI+ rights in a country where human rights are severely curtailed by a conservative Muslim society. Queer as Punk screens from 15 May.

Our next @sheffdocfest.bluesky.social Spotlights event is The Gas Station Attendant. A daughter reflects on her South Asian father’s life, his never-ending pursuit of the American dream, and the human capacity to love and survive. Tue 28 Apr + filmmaker Q&A. dochouse.org/event/the-ga...

If you missed it in person our latest shorts programme, DocHouse Shorts: Future Present, will be available to watch online from 20 - 26 Apr. Three short docs about AI brings into question the role we play as enablers of this existentially challenging technology.

Edward Lawrenson’s Hill Station and Miranda Pennell’s A Person of the Forest interrogate the enduring architectures of European colonialism. Both films screen at Bertha DocHouse on Wednesday 15 April + filmmaker Q&A as part of Open City Documentary Festival.

A 'Jan 6' insurrectionist takes a filmmaker and a researcher on a road trip and attempts to convert them to her world of conspiracy theories. Join us on 21 April for a screening of The Conspiracists + Q&A with director Liz Smith & film participant Noelle Cook.

Two weeks from tonight I’ll be at @berthadochouse.bsky.social for the first London screening of The Conspiracists, joined by @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social, and director Liz Smith. Kicking off a week of cinema screenings + conversations across the city. So excited for this. dochouse.org/event/the-co...

Boogie navigates the currents of colonial legacy in Suriname, encountering Indigenous communities who, through stories and songs, evoke an existence threatened by industrial gold mining, climate change and other perils. Monikondee screens on 17 April as part of Open City Documentary Festival

National Pride: From Jericho to Gaza accompanies Hassan Al Balawi, a Palestinian diplomat based in Brussels, on his return to his homeland in 2019 for the fifteenth anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat. Screens 17 April + filmmaker Q&A as part of Open City Documentary Festival.

Working in the corridors of power, Ukraine's young Deputy Prime Minister must take charge of securing her country's future, in a film about ideals, diplomacy and international political will. The Eukrainian screens from 1 May

Catch Ghost in the Machine on the big screen! London friends book your tickets now 🍿🎟️ @berthadochouse.bsky.social dochouse.org/event/ghost-...

Despite making hundreds of silent films that captivated audiences from Naples to New York, Italy's first female director, Elvira Notari, was relegated to the margins of film history. Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence paints a vivid, prismatic portrait of the film pioneer. Screens 6 May + Q&A.

"A poignant and profound film in Japan, filled with suffering and hope, about the hidden epidemic of social isolation... extremely moving." - Cineuropa Dear Tomorrow arrives on our screen this Friday 10 April.

"A blisteringly accurate depiction of immigrant life in the Western Hemisphere." - Variety A funny and poignant immigrant lens on a changing Polish street, Letters from Wolf Street is now showing.

In 1993, Bekir Hasanović purchased a handheld camcorder, and began recording in the midst of the Bosnian war. Thirty years later, his son deciphers the tragic history of not only his family, but an entire people. My Father's Diaries screens from Saturday 18 April.

In the mountainous borderlands between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Searching for Satyrus follows filmmaker and photographer Rena Effendi, in pursuit of a rare and critically endangered butterfly named in honour of her father. Searching for Satyrus screens from 1 May.

Our season of subterranean films continues this week. Kaori Oda’s haunting hybrid Underground explores the transgenerational memory of caves of Okinawa. And in The Neon People, thousands of homeless people struggle to survive in a vast network of dark, unsanitary tunnels in Las Vegas.

Our next #SheffieldDocFest Spotlights event will be The Gas Station Attendant + Q&A on 28 Apr. A daughter reflects on her South Asian father’s life, his never-ending pursuit of the American dream and the human capacity to love and survive. @sheffdocfest.bsky.social

“Vivek Choudhary’s sharply observed film is one of the finest this year.” - The Hollywood Reporter I, Poppy follows Dalit poppy farmers in India, who are caught between the corruption of government officials and the lure of the black market. Opens 17 April.

"An imaginative ode to the late Marianne Faithfull... The 60s rock legend gets a career-spanning portrait in the form an unconventional hybrid doc by filmmaker duo Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard." - Little White Lies There are more chances to see Broken English this week. bit.ly/BE-dh

All and Nothing explores the life of conceptual artist Li Yuan-chia, tracing his journey from WWII-era China to Taiwan, 1950s Milan, Bologna, and Swinging '60s London, culminating in his 1971 establishment of the L.Y.C., a gallery space in rural Cumbria. Screens Sunday 12 April.

Dear Tomorrow explores the loneliness crisis in Japan, through the lens of a mental health hotline that provides critical support to thousands every day. A stark reminder of how isolating modern life can be and a testament to the power of community. Screens from 10 April.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A deeply personal movie: painful, complex, challenging and engaging.' - The Guardian Join us on Wednesday for a screening of D is for Distance + filmmaker Q&A. A tender and unique essay film about cinema, the NHS and family relationships.

Amidst an epidemic of violence against women in Guatemala, two sisters stage a comparsa – an exuberant street performance with puppets, fire-breathing stilt walkers & thundering drums. Comparsa is a stirring portrait of sisterhood & the transformational power of art. Join us this Tuesday for a Q&A.

Ultras takes you inside the passionate world of football’s most devoted fans. ⚽️ Filmed across Argentina, Egypt, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Sweden, Indonesia and the UK, the film immerses viewers in the raw energy and mystique of this subculture. Opens on 25 April.

"Lyrical exploration of the world beneath our feet... Draws the viewer completely into the compelling, unnerving, alluring void" - Screen International Underland - Rob Petit's mesmerising adaptation of Robert Macfarlane's bestselling book - is now showing at DocHouse.

This visceral investigative essay excavates the chilling background that underpins the development of AI, and explores how emerging technologies reshape identity, culture and global power. Ghost in the Machine screens from Saturday 25 April.

"A sobering reminder of what’s at stake in this technology-defined age of doublethink and thoughtcrime" - The Hollywood Reporter A powerful, cinematic reflection on our times, Raoul Peck's Orwell 2+2=5 is now showing.

We're delighted to announce that we'll be joined by director Nyasha Kadandara following a screening of Matabeleland on Thursday 9 April. In the shadow of a forgotten massacre, A Zimbabwean man haunted by his father’s unburied spirit sets out to break a family curse. dochouse.org/event/matabe...