Deep Freeze

Two actresses take us through a series of 'raps' and sketches about what it means to be beautiful and black.

Made entirely of Scottish film archive, a journey into our collective past, the film explores universal themes of love, loss, resistance, migration, work and play. Ordinary people, some long since dead, their names and identities largely forgotten, appear shimmering from the depth of the vaults to take a starring role. Brilliantly edited together, these silent individuals become composite characters, who emerge to tell us their stories, given voice by King Creosote's poetic music and lyrics

Freda the cleaner takes the lid off the Town Hall in this animated film about the services provided by local authorities, and illustrates what life would be like without them. As Freda's vacuum cleaner transforms itself into a 'hoovercopter' and flies over the city, she explains the structure of the local authority and the relationship between voter, council and central government.

Two strangers experiencing loss imagine what might await them as they journey toward the haunting beauty of the Outer Hebrides, and just maybe, a better future.

The deep North-South divide in Italy is explored through the eyes of northern anti-fascist writer and painter, Carlo Levi, who is exiled by Mussolini to a remote village in Southern Italy. Levi falls in love with the ancient traditions of Southern peasant culture and becomes a passionate advocate, fighting for justice for the impoverished South.

Gerard Sekoto was a pioneer of 20th century urban black art. Self taught as a painter, he was the first to reflect South African township life in all its colour, richness and struggle, before travelling to Paris to study and enhance his unique reputation as an artist.

The passionate advocates of the ‘Cigar Box Guitar Revolution’ express their love of making unique hand-made instruments and the democratic, re-cycling ethos of the movement. Many of these musicians are from northern, post-industrial British towns, and create a self-identity through making these three-stringed guitars. Born from the Blues, the emotional connection they feel for their instruments creates a unique and evocative sound that transports musicians and audiences alike. Screened on BBC1 & BBC4 & iplayer