Bruce Mitchell

A young boy's life is changed by a chance encounter with an out-of-luck musician. When a gang of local criminals turns up, the day takes an unexpected turn.

The hilarious and bizarre story of Frank Sidebottom, the cult British comedian in a papier mâché head, and the secretive life of Chris Sievey, the artist trapped inside.

A Discovery Channel documentary exploring the influence of the work of J.R.R. Tolkien from the counter-culture of the 1960s to the present day.

A portrait of Tony Wilson the visionary, provocateur, and self-styled cultural revolutionary who put Manchester on the world map. From his days as a Granada TV presenter to founding Factory Records and the legendary Haçienda nightclub, Wilson reshaped a post-industrial city into a global capital of music and style. Loved and loathed in equal measure, Wilson’s story is told here through candid interviews, archive footage, and reflections from friends, critics, and collaborators. Pretentious? Perhaps. Unforgettable? Absolutely.

Carol Morley returns to Manchester, where in the early 1980s, five years of her life were lost in an alcoholic blur. The Alcohol Years is a poetic retrieval of that time, in which rediscovered friends and acquaintances recount tales of her drunken and promiscuous behavior. In Morley’s search for her lost self, conflicting memories and viewpoints weave in and out, revealing a portrait of the city, its pop culture, and the people who lived it.

An examination into Factory Records. The members of New Order interview founders Tony Wilson and Martin Hannett, who speak on the philosophical and cultural purpose of their label, and their associates, who mostly appear frustrated or confused. Rob Gretton, Factory founder and manager of New Order, interviews himself. Also includes three live performances of New Order at the Haçienda.

The acclaimed live concert film by Manchester ensemble The Durutti Column, recorded in Tokyo in April 1985. Domo Arigato followed on the heels of ambitious ‘modern classical’ album Without Mercy a year earlier, and saw composer / guitarist Vini Reilly and percussionist Bruce Mitchell augmented by John Metcalfe on viola and Tim Kellet on trumpet. Their show-cum-recital at the Kan’i Hoken Hall on 25 April was recorded digitally and filmed on two 35mm cameras.