Benching: The Art of Watching Trains

The railway between Aberdeen and Inverness was built by the Great North of Scotland Railway, the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction and the Inverness and Nairn, the former two companies meeting end on at Keith. Of the 50 stations that have come and gone over the years, ten remain open. In little over a hundred miles we encounter 16 existing, or former, rail junctions - on average one every seven miles - a remarkable testament to the commercial rivalry and duplicity of lines between the Highland and GNSR companies in the latter half of the 19th Century. Today the route is operated by First Scotrail class 158 "Express Sprinters". The route is mostly of single line and features tokenless block and electric key token sections controlled from manual signal boxes with semaphore signals. This scenic route was filmed in sunny or good weather from the cab, from the trackside and from the air. Much of the fascinating history is to be found in the narration, expertly delivered by Sally Magnusson.

This documentary short offers a nostalgic look at the steam locomotive as it passes from reality to history. In its heyday, the big smoke-belching steam engine seemed immortal. Now, powerful and efficient diesels are pushing the old coal-burning locomotives to the sidelines, and the lonely echo of their whistles may soon be a thing of the past.

Celebrating 200 years of rail, Guy helps to rebuild, and learns to drive, the world’s most important train for a recreation of the journey that changed history: the Stockton to Darlington Railway

It was one of the greatest heists in British history. £3 million – worth over £40 million today – stolen from a moving train by a gang of thieves who almost got away with it.

The journey continues, and once again the target is Stockholm city… The 2nd episode of Area 08 features many whole trains and live backjumps from Stockholm, Sweden. There's a lot of tagging and painting of trains and metros from WUFC-SDK, PMS, FAME, HNR. The style and a soundtrack were inspired at the time by the famous Dirty Handz 2.

The third and final episode of the Dirty Handz trilogy was released in 2006, but all events took place before 2001. This video symbolises the culmination of the controversial activity of the graffiti artists through a retrospective look at the actors. The film is entirely made by members of the SDK crew and follows a European tour of one of their members, tired of the monotony of the Parisian environment. There is an analysis of the different operational techniques writers use in each country.

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

A dozen of renowned graffiti-artist vandals in France, who paint on subways, on the facades of buildings and along highways. Let's follow them in their daily lives and in their actions in order to understand why they are doing this. For adrenaline, to convey political messages, or for artistic research. Some very risky and very committed actions will be broadcast on French television, others will forever mark the streets of Paris. This 60-minute documentary is a year-long immersion in French graffiti.

Oleh - Tåget från kriget

Tåget mellan liv och död

Mikado

A train moves through winter as a superimposed image of the same route in spring gradually emerges. Both moments coexist within a single frame, revealing two seasons happening at once.

In the first half of the 20th century, America's railroads were radically transformed by the innovation of gargantuan steam locomotives. Pushed by the need to haul ever longer and heavier trains, the nation's locomotive works responded with the invention of awe-inspiring articulated engines. Delivering up to 7,500 horsepower, these steel behemoths could haul mile-long, 15,000-ton trains. In this riveting program, journey back to the golden age of steam for an up-close look at these legendary locomotives. See the Union Pacific's famed "Big Boy" in action and ride the rails of the Chesapeake & Ohio and Norfolk & Western railways. Meet the men who drove engines like the Allegheny and Yellowstone, and visit the museums and yards where the largest steamers ever built remain preserved in time. THE HISTORY CHANNEL' proudly presents this rollicking retrospective, sure to set any rail fan's heart pounding

Tommy’s Train is a story about imagination, drive, and the power of a dream. Once existing as a tourist attraction in the city of Anacortes, Washington, Tommy Thompson’s Railway ran every summer from 1987 until 1999. The genuine steam locomotive and coaches were all hand built by Tommy in his garage workshop, and he maintained and operated the railway with his family.

This short Graffiti documentary exposes the reality of a group of Venezuelan friends who have grown up in the midst of the chaos of their hometown "Caracas", walking its streets from a very early age, knowing and understanding the city in a different way, having a special vision and a particular relationship with her, almost romantic; This letter is the voice of few, but it reflects the feelings of many young people from Caracas who have somehow lost their space in this violent city. Art helped them cross borders and obtain recognition but with melancholy they remain faithful to return and remember that Caracas where they were born, they call themselves “The Children of Disaster.”

Director Agnès Varda and photographer/muralist JR journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.

On the purple trains that run through the rapeseed fields of Skåne, anger is growing. The train company is planning yet another cutback. But this time the train staff are ready to back each other! For decades, companies have competed to win lucrative public procurement contracts to run Sweden’s railways. This competition has led to the deteriorating work conditions for employees, as companies seek to establish a competitive advantage over one another. The short documentary, Segertåget (“Victory Train”), follows train drivers and train conductors who, between work shifts and the online meetings of the pandemic, organize themselves in a fight for justice and better working conditions. A story of perseverance and solidarity in a time of constant deterioration.

Through interviews and guerilla footage of graffiti writers in action on five continents, the documentary tells the story of graffiti from its origins in prehistoric cave paintings thru its notorious explosion in New York City during the 70’s and 80’s, then follows the flames as they paint the globe.

Street art, creativity and revolution collide in this beautifully shot film about art’s ability to create change. The story opens on the politically charged Thailand/Burma border at the first school teaching street art as a form of non-violent struggle. The film follows two young girls (Romi & Yi-Yi) who have escaped 50 years of civil war in Burma to pursue an arts education in Thailand. Under the threat of imprisonment and torture, the girls use spray paint and stencils to create images in public spaces to let people know the truth behind Burma's transition toward "artificial democracy." Eighty-two hundred miles away, artist Shepard Fairey is painting a 30’ mural of a Burmese monk for the same reasons and in support of the students' struggle in Burma. As these stories are inter-cut, the film connects these seemingly unrelated characters around the concept of using art as a weapon for change.