Bill Walton selects some films from the Cinema Versa strand of the festival programme:

Last Festival I only managed to see two documentaries (in the Cinema Versa section): Something Left Behind (2018) about the legendary Leeds band The Wedding Present; and What is Democracy? (2018) which highlighted how the very understanding of democracy varies from place to place around the world and over time.

They inspired me to make sure that I see more Cinema Versa films this time. So far on my list are:

• 143 Sahara Street (2019) about a roadside teahouse in the Sahara Desert;
• A Dog Called Money (2019) which features music by PJ Harvey;
• Shooting the Mafia (2019) about community resistance to the brutal Corleonesi family in Sicily;
• Miles Davis The Birth of Cool (2019) a biographical account of the jazz musician;
• LAPÜ (2019) – tradition in the Colombian desert;
• The Cordillera of Dreams (2019) about life in the Chilean Andes.

So don’t forget to have a good look through the blue section of the programme. You will discover some cinematic gems.