Documentary

blur: To The End review – flails for a sense of narrative closure

By Callie Petch

The latest documentary about the Britpop comeback kings sadly doesn't reveal much that we didn't already know from previous film outings.

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Orlando, My Political Biography review – a dive into the collective trans consciousness

By Esmé Holden

Spanish philosopher Paul B Preciado makes his feature documentary debut with an innovative homage to Virginia Woolf's seminal 1928 novel.

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Bye Bye Tiberias review – gets under your skin and stays there

By Rogan Graham

Lina Soualem’s poignant new documentary traces the stories of four generations of Palestinian women in her family.

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Made In England: The Films Of Powell & Pressburger review – a delicious whirlwind tour

By David Jenkins

A rousing personal journey with Martin Scorsese through the films made under the iconic banner of The Archers.

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Fantastic Machine review – there’s way too much going on here

By Savina Petkova

Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson set out to investigate the implications of the camera, from its invention to the present day, with mixed results.

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Opus review – gorgeous document of a supreme artist

By Xuanlin Tham

Neo Sora creates a beautiful portrait of his late father, filmed just before he passed away from cancer in 2023.

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The Last Year of Darkness review – a wild ride through Chengdu’s queer scene

By Katherine McLaughlin

Ben Mullinkosson captures the agony and the ecstasy of Chinese club kids in this ode to one of Chengdu's underground queer spaces.

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High & Low: John Galliano – a superior profile doc

By David Jenkins

Kevin Macdonald gives his subject enough rope in this slippery documentary about how we project a sense of regret.

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Four Daughters review – successfully bypasses the traps of the gratuitous

By Rafa Sales Ross

The latest documentary from Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania centers a quartet of young women whose lives are changed forever when two of them join ISIS.

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Occupied City review – a staggeringly ambitious feat of emotional stamina

By Sophie Monks Kaufman

Steven McQueen provides a haunting examination of Amsterdam under Nazi occupation in contrast to its present in his documentary adapted from Bianca Stigter's book of the same name.

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Your Fat Friend review – heartfelt, clear-eyed filmmaking

By Hannah Strong

Jeanie Finlay profiles writer and activist Aubrey Gordon, whose eponymous blog unexpectedly led her to become an online sensation.

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This Blessed Plot review – a rough-hewn Brit ghost story

By David Jenkins

The latest from British non-fiction filmmaker Marc Issacs offers an ethereal cross-cut of working class lives in deepest Essex.

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Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer review – shine on you crazy German

By Adam Woodward

Thomas von Steinaecker flips the camera on one of Germany's favourite filmmaking sons, investigating his long and far-reaching career.

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The Disappearance of Shere Hite – a profile doc with hidden depths

By David Jenkins

The life of the idiosyncratic US sexologist is parlayed into a story of rank misogyny and violent moral conservatism.

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Scala!!! review – an exhaustive and lively document of a cult scene

By David Jenkins

An affectionate new documentary celebrates one of London's most beloved cinema institutions and the patrons who made it mythological.

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Anselm review – a perfect combination of director and subject

By David Jenkins

Wim Wenders’ luxe 3D portrait of the flame-thrower wielding conceptual artist Anselm Kiefer is a dreamy delight.

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The Eternal Memory – Intimate, meandering doc

By David Jenkins

A sentimental docu-portrait of a Chilean journalist, famed for his reporting on Pinochet's atrocities, whose own memory is leaving him.

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About Little White Lies

Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.

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