Documentaries and films

This entertaining film is the first about Bernard Levin, a small Jewish boy who grew up in the poor backstreets of Camden Town, and his journey to become the most famous journalist of the 20th Century and a prolific broadcaster on the BBC. For over 50 years he wrote countless influential articles and books on his great enthusiasms - music, theatre and literature, and changed journalism forever with his attacks on political corruption, injustice and the oppression of minorities. The film has much excellent footage of Bernard with excerpts from his three award winning travel series and his appearances on TW3, including the first punch thrown on live television, plus his witty interviews with Wogan, Parkinson, Orson Welles and Robert Kennedy among others. WIth new contributions from Sir Trevor McDonald, Arianna Huffington, Sir Simon Jenkins, Matthew Parris and Michael Billington.

An entertaining and amusing drama documentary about the life and philosophy of the French writer Marcel Proust featuring unseen archive material of Proust, based on the bestselling book ‘How Proust can Change your Life’ by Alain de Boton. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Felicity Kendal.

A conversation between Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister, and Sir Laurens van der Post when she was Prime minister. She talks about her ordinary childhood growing up above her father’s shop in Grantham, weeping at the memory of her father and mother. She gives a guided tour of Downing Street pointing out all the English paintings and furniture that she had especially installed. She also gives a frank account of her struggle to become leader of the Conservative Party and the first female Prime Minister.

Part of a series in which Arianna Huffington (née Stassinopoulos) interviews notable figures who have had a strong religious or spiritual upbringing. She discusses how this has influenced their future success. Jerry Brown was educated at a strict Jesuit college, he was elected three times to be Governor of California. He championed many environmental causes, and both workers and women’s rights and was way ahead of his time. He ran for president and at the age of 87 is still active in local politics and a vocal opponent of Trump.

Part of a series in which Arianna Huffington (née Stassinopoulos) interviews notable figures who have had a strong religious or spiritual upbringing. She discusses how this has influenced their future success. Ellen Burstyn is an Oscar winning actor for her part in Alice Doesn’t Live here Anymore. She has given many acclaimed performances in both film and the theatre, one of the few actors to have won the triple crown of Oscar, Emmy and Tony, and she trained with Lee Strasberg. She was the first woman president of the American Actors Guild. Ellen is a practicing Sufi and talks with Arianna about how she practices her beliefs in her everyday life and work.