Year: 2026
Director: Mark Cousins
Producer: John Archer
Executive Producers: Clara Glynn, Joslyn Barnes, Frank Lehmann and Diana Bustamente
Production Company: Hopscotch Films
Sales Agent: Dogwoof
Distributor: Kino Lorber (US)
Screen Scotland support: The series accessed £250,000 through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund.
Synopsis
An innovative exploration of the documentary form from the dawn of cinema to the present day, encompassing stories from across the globe. Boldly feminist, jargon-free and international in scope, the 16-volume series offers a vivid portrait of our lives, societies, wars, families, journeys, creativity, relationships and struggles – as well as the things we make and the planet itself – told in a fresh and compelling way.
Drawing on Cousins’ three decades of research into documentary, the series will re-examine classics of the genre including Hoop Dreams, The Gleaners and I, The Thin Blue Line, Stop Making Sense and Paris Is Burning. Alongside these celebrated films, it will also introduce audiences to striking new discoveries and overlooked works from across the globe, with a spotlight on the many great female filmmakers who have too often been written out of history.
Structured chronologically but interspersed with stand-alone thematic sections, the series will challenge prevailing assumptions about what documentary is, offering a captivating new perspective on the history of a form that continues to shape how we understand the world around us
More information
World Premiere: The first part of the series had its World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2026. It then had its European Premiere while parts 2-4 had their World Premiere at Berlinale 2026 in February 2026.
Screenings: The Story of Documentary Film parts 6 and 7 (The 1970s) screened as part the Cannes Classics strand in May 2026, followed by screenings of parts 5 and 6 (the 1960s and the 1970s) at Sheffield Doc Fest 2026. Parts 8 and 9 (The 1980s) of the series will screen at Karlovy Vary IFF in July 2026.
Image credits: Still courtesy of Hopscotch Films