A forgotten best-seller of the mid-1950s sheds light on youth culture and the potential of creative youth work. Continue reading
Author Archives: dbuckingham2015
Should we ban mobile phones in schools?
Reviewing arguments for and against – and proposing a media education approach.
Rumours of our demise…
The numbers of students opting for specialised courses in Media Studies and English Literature in the UK have been in decline for several years. How might we explain this, and how can we respond? Continue reading
Identity, sexuality and the price of fame: ‘Dalton’s Dream’ (2023)
A new documentary follows the uncertain career of an X Factor star, raising uncomfortable questions about the price of fame. Continue reading
A symphony – with music! Revisiting Dziga Vertov’s ‘Man with a Movie Camera’ (1929)
Remembering the Troubles: Documentary, History and Truth
Three documentaries about the conflict in Northern Ireland raise some interesting questions about how we represent history: I, Dolours (dir. Maurice Sweeney, 2018); The Miami Showband Massacre (Stuart Sender, 2019); and The Ballymurphy Precedent (Callum Macrae, 2018).
Escape from North Korea: ‘Beyond Utopia’ (2023)
A suspenseful documentary follows refugees escaping from one of the world’s most repressive regimes.
Photography, class and creative labour: ‘Tish’ (2023)
A moving new documentary about the late British photographer Tish Murtha raises important questions about class, creativity and politics.
Documenting life in Gaza
Two documentaries made before the current conflict, giving an inside view of life in Gaza from the perspective of its inhabitants: Born in Gaza (dir. Hernan Zin, 2014) and Gaza (dirs. Andrew McConnell and Gary Keane, 2018).
The sixties started here: revisiting ‘Ready, Steady, Go!’
The relationship between pop music, youth culture and television has often been an uneasy one. Here’s a critical look back at one of the most fondly-remembered British pop shows, sixty years since it first appeared.
