If November wasn’t busy enough already (seriously, what happened to quiet autumn weekends?), along comes something utterly irresistible: the very first LDNDOCS Documentary Showcase – and I’m practically buzzing out of my boots. Because this isn’t just any film festival. Oh no. This one includes a Q&A with Ben Stiller himself. BEN. STILLER. I’m already rehearsing how I’ll stay calm and professional… but let’s be honest, I’ll probably just beam at him like I’ve stepped straight out of a rom-com.
Taking place from 21 to 23 November at Curzon Bloomsbury, this brand-new boutique festival promises a weekend filled with unforgettable nonfiction films and conversations that dig deep into what makes us human — memory, time, resilience, creativity and everything in between. London has been crying out for a festival like this: intimate, clever, emotional, beautifully curated, and rooted in stories that stay with you long after you’ve left the cinema (armed with snacks, obviously).
But let me get to the moment that has me giddier than my first crush: Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, Ben Stiller’s moving portrait of his legendary parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. It’s a story of love, comedy, family and legacy, and I cannot wait to watch it, knowing that afterwards we’ll get to hear Ben speak about the film in person. As a mum, a storyteller and a hopeless fan of anything that celebrates family bonds, this documentary feels like it’s going to be a proper heart-hug.
And the rest of the line-up? Honestly, it’s a treasure chest of beautifully crafted films. Ryan White’s Come See Me In The Good Light opens the festival with a love story shaped by courage, humour and an incurable cancer diagnosis — already a multi-award winner and tipped for more. There’s Elvira Lind’s intimate look at Oscar Isaac tackling Hamlet (yes, please), Brittany Shyne’s lyrical debut Seeds, the riveting activism of Yanuni, the soul-stirring The Tale of Silyan, and Robb Moss’s decades-spanning The Bend in the River, which has followed its subjects for nearly fifty years. Fifty! Most of us can barely schedule a coffee for next week.
Then there’s Vacances, a decade-long love letter to the wild, witty ‘Granny’ who holds court in Provence, and a powerful shorts programme from Palestinian filmmakers engaging with archival footage in innovative, deeply emotional ways.
This isn’t a festival where you simply sit back and watch. It’s one where you listen, feel, reflect, laugh, maybe cry a little, and – if you’re me – spend the entire weekend soaking up stories that remind us why real life, in all its messy splendour, is far more gripping than fiction.
Founder Ben Fowlie describes LDNDOCS as a way to bring bold, ambitious nonfiction to a city bursting with creative energy, yet still somehow craving more intimate film spaces. And he’s right – London may be home to nine million people, but the magic of this festival is how close and connected it already feels.
So yes, I’m excited. I’m excited for the films. I’m excited for the conversations. I’m excited for a weekend where documentary lovers come together to celebrate stories that matter. And, of course, I’m excited to meet the man behind Zoolander, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and now a tender portrait of his extraordinary parents.
If you need me this weekend, I’ll be at Curzon Bloomsbury – notebook in hand, eyes shining, heart open – ready for stories, cinema, and possibly the tiniest fangirl moment of my life.
For more information or to book, head to www.ldndocs.co.uk.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
