It’s hard to believe another month is coming to an end, and with it the conclusion of the British television series Chasing Shadows(Sunday evenings) and Rialto Channel’s remarkable season of anime (Friday evenings). However, there are some real treats lined up for you in October with the return of the Double Exposure documentary series focusing on a fascinating range of intriguing themes every Thursday and Friday night. Catch Finding Vivian Maier and Banksy Does New York as well as films that focus on extreme sport, con artists, science and crime. October also features the debut of French crime series Witness, a gripping and atmospheric French police thriller that explores the dark corners of the human psyche and how far people will go to exact the perfect revenge. 

Here are my picks for the week;

It’s hard to believe another month is coming to an end, and with it the conclusion of the British television series Chasing Shadows (Sunday evenings) and Rialto Channel’s remarkable season of anime (Friday evenings). However, there are some real treats lined up for you in October with the return of the Double Exposure documentary series focusing on a fascinating range of intriguing themes every Thursday and Friday night. Catch Finding Vivian Maier and Banksy Does New York as well as films that focus on extreme sport, con artists, science and crime. October also features the debut of French crime series Witness, a gripping and atmospheric French police thriller that explores the dark corners of the human psyche and how far people will go to exact the perfect revenge. 

Here are my picks for the week;

Saturday 26^th September, 8.30pm… Kill The Messenger  

Based on a true story, this drama tells the story of investigative journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) is who is tipped off about the story of a lifetime; the involvement of the C.I.A in Nicaragua, and the U.S government’s alleged conspiracy to flood American cities with crack to fund secretive military efforts during the 80s. Webb’s decision to pursue this story comes at great personal sacrifice, and Kill the Messenger is skewed to tell this story mostly from his perspective. There’s a sense this story has been simplified somewhat, however Jeremy Renner, who also produced the film, is in excellent form here and worth catching.

Thursday 24^th September, 8.30pm … Citizenfour

Citizenfour is one of the most celebrated feature documentaries of the year. It has won an Oscar, a BAFTA, Independent Spirit Award and numerous critics awards – just to name a few. Filmmaker Laura Poitras’s film takes you behind the scenes of Edward Snowden’s decision to go public with the evidence he uncovered regarding illegal covert surveillance programs run by the NSA. Regardless of whether you believe Snowden is a hero or a traitor, it’s mesmerizing watching history unfold, as director Laura Poitras captures Snowden explaining on camera to journalists Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill what he’s discovered, as well as the realization of what his actions mean, for himself and his family. This film gives the whole “Edward Snowden’ story a human face, and sense of reality that was often lost in the whole drama of the event.

Friday 25th September, 8.30pm … Howl’s Moving Castle   

Released in 2004, Howl’s Moving Castle is the third to last film from iconic Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki. The film is based on Welsh author Diana Wynne Jones's 1986 fantasy novel, and tells the story of a shy 18 year old hat maker called Sophie, who befriends a notorious wizard called Howl after she’s harassed by a group of soldiers. The Witch of Waste takes offence to her new friendship, turning Sophie into an old crone who in turn tries to save Howl from turning into a monster of a man. The film is set around the turn of the 20^th century in an elaborate industrial world with a medieval center. As you expect from Miyazaki, this strange and wondrous adventure is filled with detailed hand drawn animation, intriguing characters and thoughtful themes. In 1997, Studio Ghibli put in place a distribution deal with Disney, allowing Miyazaki’s films to be distributed around the world in two formats; a subtitled version for the purists and a dubbed version for mainstream audiences. This opened the way for Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away to win an Oscar in 2003, and saw Howl’s Moving Castle receive an Oscar nomination in 2005. This is a film for all ages, and the perfect way to bring Rialto Channel’s season of anime to an end.