documentaries Archives | Tom Smail

general documentaries

Gauguin – a dangerous life

(2019)

Director: Patricia Wheatley

Timed to coincide with the exhibition of Gauguin's portraits at the National Gallery. Cinema release October 2019, BBC broadcast December 2019.

Discovery Education

(2018)

Producer: Susie Staples

Music for several Discovery Education programmes.

The Rose

(2017)

Short promotional film by jewellery designer Eliane Fattal: the making of The Rose.

Hokusai

(2017)

Director: Patricia Wheatley

Japan's greatest artist.
British Museum and NHK co-production.
Cinema release June 2017, BBC broadcast July 2017.

Eccentria

(2014)

A Mustique Tale

Lord Glenconner and the island of Mustique.

Discobolus

British Museum (2012)

The Discus Thrower

British Museum film about the famous discus thrower: a marble copy of the lost bronze original of the fifth century BC.

How to start a revolution

genesharpfilm.com (2011)

Producer/Director: Ruaridh Arrow

The story of the power of people to change their world, the modern revolution and the man behind it all: Gene Sharp, the world's leading expert on non-violent revolutions.

The whale that swam to London

Channel 4 (Firefly) (2006)

Director: Toby MacDonald

The tale of the whale that got lost and swam up the Thames. Despite great efforts to save her, she died, but in doing so revealed much to science.

Disappearing Britain: Tea

Channel 5 (Lion TV) (2006)

Director: Richard Shaw

Daniel Libeskind – the making of an architect

BBC (Lion TV) (2006)

Director: Chris Swann

The story of the architect of the Jewish Museum in Berlin who rose to prominence when he became the master planner of the rebuilding of Ground Zero.

K9 cops

Discovery Channel (Anglia) (2005)

Director: Susie Staples

The riddle of Einstein’s brain

Channel 4 (Icon Films) (2005)

Director: Tom Cholmondeley

Two scientists set out to find the remnants of Einstein's brain. Does genius reside in human tissue, or is it something more mysterious and incorporeal?

The Beatle Diaries

Eagle Media (2005)

Director: Alan Ravenscroft

From Liverpool to San Francisco: the story of The Beatles from 1963 to 1969.

World Class Trains

Discovery Channel (Eagle Media) (2004)

Director: Alan Ravenscroft

On board some of the world’s most luxurious locomotives in some of the world’s most exotic locations.

The mysterious hanging coffins of China

Discovery Channel (Bang Productions) (2003)

Director: Toby Macdonald

Unravelling the legend of the extinct Bo people and their extraordinary legacy: coffins clinging perilously to cliffs.
Winner: Best Documentary, Asian TV Awards 2004.

The new face of leprosy

BBC World Service Trust (2001)

Director: Jenny Barraclough

Eat dirt

Channel 4 (RDF) (2000)

Director: Alison Turner

wildlife documentaries

Amazon, Super River

BBC (The Natural World) (2009)

Producer: Emma Rigney

Exploring the greatest river on earth. Stunning photography and aerial pictures and a comprehensive look at the Amazon’s incredible inhabitants and fascinating history.

Penguins – cool bird in a hot spot

BBC (Wildlife on One) (2001)

Producer: Cluny South

An uplifting look at the unlikely inhabitants of Boulders Beach, Cape Town. These delightful birds have swapped their traditional island home for a life in the city.

Flower Power

BBC (12 five-minute shorts) (2000)

Producer: Emma Rigney

Nature’s Fury

BBC (10 five-minute shorts) (2000)

Producer: Emma Rigney

Deadly Vipers

BBC (The Natural World) (2000)

Producer: Phil Chapman

The greatest danger is the one that's hidden... Vipers kill more people than any other creature on earth, but there is much to admire in their beauty and their cunning.