Acting
Bonnie Greer, OBE is an American-British playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, who has lived in the UK since 1986.
One of the greatest actors of the twentieth century, von Sydow is best known for his long creative partnership with director Ingmar Bergman, whose psychologically probing dramas—including their most famous collaboration, THE SEVENTH SEAL—gave the actor freedom to bare his soul and showcase his unfailingly commanding screen presence. In addition to the string of masterpieces he made with the Swedish auteur, von Sydow embodied a wide range of characters in films by art-house titans such as Jan Troell, Lars von Trier, and Wim Wenders, leaving behind a body of work that spans more than six decades and a dozen different countries. He appeared in more than one hundred and fifty films and television series in multiple languages. Max von Sydow received his French citizenship in 2002 and lived in France for the last two decades of his life.
National Geographic documentary on Martin Luther King Jr. helps drive change in the United States in the face of bitter opposition, not least from opponents within the U.S. government; King is subjected to a fierce campaign of intimidation by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI.
Oprah Winfrey is one of the most widely-known and inspirational women in the world. She is best-known for her internationally-acclaimed and groundbreaking talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which she hosted for 25 years. After launching her own television network--the Oprah Winfrey Network--and production company Harpo Productions, and co-writing five books as well as appearing in several films, she became the first African American female billionaire. She is a media leader, talk show host, TV producer, actress, and philanthropist. Considered by many as one of the most influential women in the world, her powerful impact on society is even known as the "Oprah effect". In the course of her remarkable life journey, she has scored success after success.
A profile of the actress from a strict Quaker upbringing in Yorkshire, through her staunch determination to make it as a thespian. There's also a look at her work in TV favourites such as A Fine Romance and As Time Goes By, where Judi's performances won her four BAFTA awards, and her tenure in the James Bond franchise.
Gathering for a Christmas lunch, the film critics and writers of Discovering Film discuss the merits of 20 films from Bill Murray's star turn in Scrooged, the James Stewart classic It's a Wonderful Life, Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander, to Bruce Willis' memorable Die Hard.
A feature documentary which captures Katharine Hepburn's spirit and determination, exploring her story using her own words, through a combination of hours of previously hidden and intimate audio tapes, video and photographic archive.
Bonnie Greer looks back on the extraordinary life of one of literature’s most significant and inspirational figures, Maya Angelou, through an exploration of the BBC archives.
With contributions from David Holmes, Christy Moore, Imelda May, Don Letts, BP Fallon and more, this documentary reflects on Sineád O’Connor’s influence on Irish life and people. Five months after her shocking passing, SINÉAD revisits the late singer’s tumultuous life and the film is both a deeply sad and celebratory tribute. Drawn together from RTÉ’s own expansive archive of her TV appearances and footage from around the world, it is an absorbing take on a story that many of us already know very well. However, looking back now after her death, the film pulls into sharp focus just how brave and defiant Sinéad really was.
This programme reconstructs the many layers of facial cosmetic surgery that Michael Jackson had over the course of his lifetime and asks what the 'King of Pop' would have looked like if he had had none.
A celebration of extraordinary choreographed moments in a countdown of TOP 25 of the most memorable dances in cinema history.
Maisie Blue is an enigmatic black widow figure under investigation by detective Margrave for her involvement in the suicides of successful white men. Through the blurred lines of perception and reality, the myth of the Black feminine mystique is explored under the guise of a murder mystery. The film explores the fetishization of Black women as a manifestation of white male insecurity.