Get ready to be transported back to the radical 1980s – a decade that exploded with creativity and controversy on screen. Mark Cousins's epic documentary series, The Story of Documentary Film, is a thrilling ride through the most pivotal moments in cinema history, and its latest chapters are a must-watch for anyone who loves film as much as we do.
Cousins kicks off his 1980s episodes with a cinematic showdown at Checkpoint Charlie – the iconic Berlin Wall landmark that symbolised the end of an era. He expertly dissects films that dared to challenge the status quo, laying bare the empathy and dissent that fuelled the erosion of the Soviet bloc. Next up, he delves into the world of investigative documentaries, where the likes of Marcel Ophuls and Michael Moore peeled back the layers of wartime secrets.
As ever, Cousins brings his unique blend of insightful analysis and cinephile wit to the party, drawing bold parallels between the detective work of Ophuls's Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988) and the methodical approach of TV's Columbo. And did we mention the blast from the past that kicks off each episode – a nod to the 80s music scene that will have you singing along in no time?
The series is an absolute treasure trove of cinematic delights, featuring everything from Herz Frank's haunting The Last Judgement (1987) to Juris Podnieks's radical youth anthem Is It Easy to Be Young? (1986). We're also treated to Jan Troell's Swedish epic Land of Dreams (1988), which dares to confront national complacency, and campaigning classics like Michael Moore's Roger and Me (1984) and Edouardo Coutinho's Brazilian film Twenty Years Later (1984).
Cousins isn't afraid to have a bit of fun either – we love the playful nod to Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's Homework (1989), where a kid prefers watching The Wombles over doing his homework. And as Cousins himself asks, what was the primary purpose of these documentaries: cinema releases or TV viewing? It's questions like this that will keep us hooked on the series.