The Impossible Dream

How could a German Wehrmacht soldier become a celebrated soccer idol of the Britons in the post-war period? The documentary by Radio Bremen shows the moving life story of the soccer star of the 1950s in a torn Europe and how an enemy became a friend. With his legendary appearance in the English Cup Final 1956, in which he played until the end despite a broken neck, Bert Trautmann set up a memorial for himself in the history of sport. Already in the same year, he is chosen as England’s footballer of the year, and by his club Manchester City even as best player of all times. Bernhard “Bert” Trautmann is one of the most popular and best-known soccer players in England.

A documentary made for television that looks back on the development and rapid rise of Oasis from being a band practicing nightly in the Boardwalk to one the biggest British bands of the last thirty years. Building from the formation of the band (with Liam apparently just fed up waiting for other bands to release records and decides to do something himself), the film uses contributions from key people really well to tell the story in an engaging way.

A documentary on the events when a bomb went off at the Ariana Grande concert.

Carol Morley returns to Manchester, where in the early 1980s, five years of her life were lost in an alcoholic blur. The Alcohol Years is a poetic retrieval of that time, in which rediscovered friends and acquaintances recount tales of her drunken and promiscuous behavior. In Morley’s search for her lost self, conflicting memories and viewpoints weave in and out, revealing a portrait of the city, its pop culture, and the people who lived it.

Beginning at the industrial revolution of the ‘great north’, Jenn Nkiru draws lines between peoples, cities, countries, buildings, movements, bodies and spaces(s) using a mixture of archive materials and new footage. There is little stillness as we are pushed and pulled through Black histories and communities across the city of Manchester and beyond. Nkiru has termed this filmmaking process “cosmic archeology”, and it is grounded in Afro-surrealism, experimental film and the Black arts movement.

A documentary about The Smiths.

Terrific portrait of Bobby and Jackie Charlton, pillars of football history, at the height of their playing careers.

Documentary looking at the career to date of Peter Kay, from Bolton schoolboy to award-winning, record-breaking comic, actor, writer and director.

Apotheosis: The Night We Became Heroes

Documentary about the selling off of remnants from legendary Manchester nightclub The Hacienda.

A look at the life and legend of Sir Alex Ferguson, from his working-class roots in Glasgow through to his career as one of the greatest football managers of all time. While recovering from a traumatic brain haemorrhage in 2018, Sir Alex intimately recounts vivid details of his life and career to his son, including his legendary 26-year tenure as manager of Manchester United.

1. Siren Song 2. Ship Of Fools 3. Chorus 4. Breath Of Life 5. Chains Of Love 6. Love To Hate You 7. Joan 8. Voulez Vous 9. Take A Chance On Me 10. S.O.S. 11. Lay All Your Love On Me 12. Am I Right? 13. Oh L'Amour 14. Waiting For The Day 15. Heart Of Stone 16. Stop! 17. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly 18. Who Needs Love Like That 19. Stand By Your Man 20. The Soldier's Return 21. Turns The Love To Anger 22. Star 23. Blue Savannah 24. Over The Rainbow 25. Love Is A Loser 26. A Little Respect 27. Home 28. Perfect Stranger 29. Sometimes British synthpop legends Erasure perform live at the Manchester Apollo on 8 June 1992, as part of their Phantasmagorical Entertainment Tour.

Undercover reporter Mark Daly reveals racism among police recruits in Manchester, England.

Brass Tacks was a current affairs programme shown on BBC2 between 1977 and 1988. On this episode called Punk Rock, broadcast on 3rd August 1977, it focuses on the Manchester Punk scene, bands and its iconic club, The Electric Circus.

A selection of performances by Manchester-based acts culled from the BBC archives.

A look at the number of canal deaths in the Manchester Region.

Basically, Robert reported lights over the Tesco car park. Then he told us an alien was coming to stay in his spare room. With the help of some historical abduction stories, a latex alien mask, and a bucket of flying saucers, we’re working out whether to believe him. Maybe this is a good place to believe him? Maybe you can help?

A look at the link between ISIS and Manchester

Student life told in chronological vlogs over first year.

Between 1968 and 1970, J M Goodger, a lecturer at the University of Salford, made a film record of the living conditions in the slums of Ordsall, Salford, which were then in the process of being demolished. Under the title 'The Changing face of Salford', the film was in two parts: 'Life in the slums' and 'Bloody slums'.