Alongside being largely responsible for ensuring that every other building in Nottingham is now a bar or student flat, Trent uni has for many years been one of the leading journalism schools in the country (vested interest alert – this writer’s currently studying there, so I may be slightly biased). This year, the university has seen the addition of a new course to its MA portfolio: documentary journalism. Under the tutelage of BBC producer Lyn Champion, the course’s inaugural batch of students have produced an impressive body of work, covering a diverse range of subjects.
This was showcased last week with a screening of some of their films at Broadway Cinema. The course’s six students – Paul Allen, Aaron Jewa, Jack McShane, Lara Phillipps, Michael Wilkerson and Chris Youngs showed a variety of the films they’ve produced over the year.
First up, profile pieces of local creative types, which students produced towards the start of the course. Local DJs, choreographers and artists were profiled in a series of short pieces. Besides showcasing some of the range of creative talent on display in Nottingham, the films were an interesting look at how far students had come in a short time. Whilst some of the films were a little rough around the edges, considering they were made a few months into the course by students who – in many cases – had never made a film before, the standard was very high.
Students then showcased longer documentaries they made towards the end of the course. The growth over the duration of the year was evident, with a very professional collection of documentaries. The five films on show, each around 20 minutes in length, again covered a wide range of subjects. Mahout Men – filmed on location in Thailand, looked at the lives of elephant handlers. Closer to home, Stacks of Joy looked at the history of the Jamaican Sound System culture in Nottingham, whilst Matron’s Garden examined a former Birmingham Children’s hospital patient’s relationship with the hospital that saved her life. Rounding off the event were Smashin’ Bootlids, a look at the lively world of banger racing, and Baking Blind, a fascinating insight into the world of the blind.
It’s an impressive collection of films, showcasing the students’ range of interests and talents, and bodes well for both the future of this new course and careers of these six documentarians. Check it out.
The screening took place at Broadway Cinema on Friday 23 September 2016.
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