The Wall and the Mirror
A new documentary series which showcases short films made by talented new film-makers as part of It's My Shout training scheme.
Shirley Walker has been cutting hair for almost 70 years in the once vibrant mining community of Cefn Forest, and knows generations of families in the area. The treasured photographs on the shop wall are like chapters in the village history. They show a time when the village life was dominated by groups of men getting together from sports teams to brass band to homing pigeons. How things have changed.
Miners used to walk up the Black Path from their gruelling shift straight to Shirley's (and her father who barbered before her) for a short back and sides, then out to one of the local clubs - most of which are now in decline.
Present day customers, can see their forefathers on the wall, and hear stories about them from Shirley. She cut everyone's hair, and still does. There is a deep seam of loyalty from these customers who travel as far as a 200-mile round trip, and locals who now live abroad still pop in for a haircut when they come home to visit.
Two of her customers - ex miners Ray Pope and Nat Thomas - revisit the fast-deteriorating Miner's Institute which was once the heartbeat of the community. Emotions run high as they remember the ‘Stute' as it was in its heyday and see the extent to which the legacy of those hard-working miners is sadly slipping away.
This is a lovesong to those men who worked underground, to Shirley, the keeper of their social and personal histories, and to the village of Cefn Fforest. It's an acknowledgement that though the community has changed, and is changing there is still one place where the heart of the past is still palpably beating.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
The Chi
The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. Kevin is the pre-teen who must step past shattered illusions and embrace the normal rites of childhood, while Brandon the dreamer makes his own nearly impossible leap of faith to succeed in life and love with girlfriend Jerrika. Emmett is the carefree teen is thrust into complex responsibility with guidance from his mother Jada, and Ronnie is the drifter whose struggle to love and be loved calls into question his every pursuit.
Cops
COPS follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and various police activities by embedding camera crews with their units. The show's formula adheres to a classic cinéma vérité ethos. With no narration or scripted dialog, it depends entirely on the commentary of the officers and on the actions of the people with whom they come into contact.
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Jimmy Carr hosts as Sean Lock and Jon Richardson play the words and numbers game.
Have I Got News for You
Based on the week's news, Have I Got News for You is fronted by guest hosts and features two regular team captains, Paul Merton and Ian Hislop. Each week the show invites two guests to cast a jaundiced eye over the week's news, resulting in a fast flow of anarchic, spontaneous and hugely entertaining wit and humour. Guests typically represent the world of politics, comedy, show-business and journalism, and are often themselves particularly newsworthy participants. The final touches of Have I Got News for You are put together only hours before recording, allowing guests to comment on the late-breaking news stories of the day.