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Roger Graef, Belle reviewed; The art of Dazzle Ships

Arts news, reviews and interviews. Kirsty Lang talks to documentary maker Roger Graef, hears the verdict on the film Belle and explores the art of Dazzle Ships.

Historian and broadcaster Amanda Vickery gives her verdict on the film Belle, set in the eighteenth century, which tells the true story of the illegitimate daughter of a British naval officer and a slave, who was brought up by her great uncle in Georgian London.

Bafta award-winner Roger Graef has been making documentaries for fifty years. A pioneer of "fly-on-the-wall" formats and films made in closed institutions such as prisons, police stations and government ministries, Roger has just been given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sheffield DocFest. He joins Kirsty to discuss his work - and to give his predictions for the future of documentary-making.

Dazzle Ships were used in the First World War to confuse the enemy. A variety of British ships were painted in bright, colourful patterns to disorientate and confuse German sailors trying to judge the vessels' speed and direction. As two new Dazzle Ships are created in the UK, Front Row hears from the project curator and a naval historian.

Tom Rachman's first novel, The Imperfectionists, about a failing newspaper received rave reviews. His second novel The Rise & Fall of Great Powers, starts off in failing bookshop. He talks to Kirsty about why he thinks books, if not newspapers, will survive the digital future.

Kirsty Lang - Presenter
Nicola Holloway - producer.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Belle

    Historian and broadcaster Amanda Vickery gives her verdict on the film Belle

    Duration: 04:47

  • Roger Graef

    Bafta award-winner Roger Graef discusses his fifty years of documentary-making

    Duration: 08:56

  • Dazzle Ships

    Front Row hears from the project curator and a naval historian about the dazzle ship

    Duration: 05:55

  • Tom Rachman

    Tom Rachman discusses his new book The Rise and Fall of Great Powers

    Duration: 06:49

  • Pl谩cido Domingo

    A look ahead to Pl谩cido Domingo's interview with Front Row as he discusses the World Cup

    Duration: 01:31

Belle

starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the lead role is released in UK cinemas on Friday 13 June 2014, certificate 12A.

Dazzle ship

Dazzle ship

as part of the Liverpool Biennial is on display at until the end of 2015.

Image: 14-18NOW and Liverpool Biennial commissioned Carlos Cruz-Diez's Dazzle Ship

Credit: Mark McNulty

Tom Rachman

Tom Rachman

The Rise and Fall of Great Powers written by is published by Sceptre.

Photo credit: Alessandra Rizzo

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Kirsty Lang
Interviewed Guest Roger Graef
Interviewed Guest Tom Rachman
Interviewed Guest Amanda Vickery
Interviewed Guest Jennifer Waldman
Interviewed Guest Eric Grove
Producer Nicola Holloway

Broadcast

  • Fri 13 Jun 2014 19:15

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