DocHouse continue to bring factual features to the capital’s cinemas with a screening at the Kilburn Tricycle this Thursday June 14 of Desert Riders, an exposé of camel racing in the United Arab Emirates – and the human trafficking that goes on to supply jockeys for this disreputable sport. The film will be followed by a panel discussion about child labour, with Catherine Turner from Anti-Slavery International and award-winning photojournalist David Higgs.
Presented in association with Open City Docs Fest, next Thursday’s outing at Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios will see Emad Burnat discuss 5 Broken Cameras: a personal insight into his West Bank village’s resistance to Israeli settlements, shot over five years. The event also promises Palestinian snacks from CADFA (Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association).
There’s a double bill at Rich Mix on June 28 headed by Micha X Peled’s Bitter Seeds, exploring the tragic consequences – including mass suicide – of genetically modified crops on Indian farmers. The final part of the director’s trilogy on globalization (following Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes To Town and sweatshop document China Blue), this feature will be paired with British filmmaker Andrew Hinton’s perhaps more optimistic short Banking On Change.
On a different note, Sunday July 1 will see two musical previews at the Kilburn Tricycle, accompanied by traditional South African BBQ. Malik Bendjelloul’s investigative profile of ‘lost’ folk singer Rodriguez, Searching For Sugar Man, airs ahead of its UK theatrical opening (on Friday July 27; check back then for a full Quietus article), alongside the marvellous Under African Skies, charting the story of Paul Simon’s evergreen but controversial Graceland album. Reviewing the latter documentary’s UK premiere at Sundance London recently, tQ’s own Stephen Dalton opined: "[Joe] Berlinger’s film almost serves as a kind of musical Truth and Reconciliation Commission." Watch a trailer below, and check the DocHouse website for more information.
