Virginia Heath

Channel 4 documentary series covering all branches of the arts.

A woman unravels a small town conspiracy of silence surrounding the murder of a hitchhiker and falls in love with a handsome, brooding Maori guy, she increasingly fears may be the killer.

The deep North-South divide in Italy is explored through the eyes of northern anti-fascist writer and painter, Carlo Levi, who is exiled by Mussolini to a remote village in Southern Italy. Levi falls in love with the ancient traditions of Southern peasant culture and becomes a passionate advocate, fighting for justice for the impoverished South.

Two strangers experiencing loss imagine what might await them as they journey toward the haunting beauty of the Outer Hebrides, and just maybe, a better future.

The passionate advocates of the ‘Cigar Box Guitar Revolution’ express their love of making unique instruments and the democratic, re-cycling ethos of the movement. Many are from the UK’s northern, post-industrial towns, recreating self-identity through hand-made guitars. Their emotional connection with their instruments creates a unique sound which is quite magical. A cinematic short, subsequently commissioned by the BBC as Cigar Box Blues. Festivals include: Woodstock, Nashville, Albuquerque (Honourable Mention)

A funny, sexy look at the fragmenting family and the absurdity of modern existence. Inspired by Rashomon, the film has seven-year-old Cielle, her black British mother Marcia, and Marcia's latest boyfriend Frank describe a minor domestic ‘accident’. One event, three different versions. But which, if any, is the truth? Festivals include: Berlinale (Winner: Best Short Film), European Film Academy Awards (Nominated), Rome, St Petersburg, Drama, Foyle, Geneva, Tampere.

Gerard Sekoto was a pioneer of 20th century urban black art. Self taught as a painter, he was the first to reflect South African township life in all its colour, richness and struggle, before travelling to Paris to study and enhance his unique reputation as an artist.

Made entirely of Scottish film archive, a journey into our collective past, the film explores universal themes of love, loss, resistance, migration, work and play. Ordinary people, some long since dead, their names and identities largely forgotten, appear shimmering from the depth of the vaults to take a starring role. Brilliantly edited together, these silent individuals become composite characters, who emerge to tell us their stories, given voice by King Creosote's poetic music and lyrics

Two actresses take us through a series of 'raps' and sketches about what it means to be beautiful and black.

The passionate advocates of the ‘Cigar Box Guitar Revolution’ express their love of making unique hand-made instruments and the democratic, re-cycling ethos of the movement. Many of these musicians are from northern, post-industrial British towns, and create a self-identity through making these three-stringed guitars. Born from the Blues, the emotional connection they feel for their instruments creates a unique and evocative sound that transports musicians and audiences alike. Screened on BBC1 & BBC4 & iplayer

Grub, a young surfer, is caught in a conflict between his boss, former surf legend Claw, and his passion for Vanessa, a mysterious Maori woman tattooist. Driven by his desire to be tattooed and 'become a man', Grub ignores warnings that Vanessa could be 'Hine Nui Te Po', the Maori sea goddess and mythical 'Eater of Life'. Rebelling against Claw, he is drawn ever deeper into Vanessa's ambiguous world of pleasure and pain, fantasy and reality, until finally the young surfer must face death in order to understand life.

Michelle's father has left her his super deluxe refrigerator. Its unexpected arrival at the apartment she shares with Ron puts the deep freeze on their love.

Freda the cleaner takes the lid off the Town Hall in this animated film about the services provided by local authorities, and illustrates what life would be like without them. As Freda's vacuum cleaner transforms itself into a 'hoovercopter' and flies over the city, she explains the structure of the local authority and the relationship between voter, council and central government.

South African jazz legends, The Manhattan Brothers, deprived of their music royalties return to newly liberated South Africa to seek justice.