Ian Hart, Best Actor, TriBeCa Film Festival 2004, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
Ian Hart, Best Actor, TriBeCa Film Festival 2004, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
Linus Roache, Bassem Breish, Dany El Khoury & Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
Linus Roache, Bassem Breish, Dany El Khoury & Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
Linus Roache & Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
Linus Roache & Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.

Ian Hart &Linus Roache, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
Ian Hart &Linus Roache, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.

On set with camera operator Lewis Buchan and Linus Roache, Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
On set with camera operator Lewis Buchan and Linus Roache, Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.

Linus Roache & Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
Linus Roache & Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.

Linus Roache & Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
Linus Roache & Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.

With Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.
With Ian Hart, Blind Flight. Photo by Paul Chedlow © Paul Chedlow / Parallax Independent.

Gail Bettinson, Looks That Kill.
Gail Bettinson, Looks That Kill. Photo by Peter Everard Smith © Peter Everard Smith

Gail Bettinson with mother, Looks That Kill
Gail Bettinson, Looks That Kill. Photo by Peter Everard Smith © Peter Everard Smith

Gail Bettinson, Looks That Kill.
Gail Bettinson, Looks That Kill. Photo by Peter Everard Smith © Peter Everard Smith

Gail Bettinson, Looks That Kill.
Helen, Tess and Joanne Casey, Living On The Edge.

Living On The Edge
Frank Rolfe, Living On The Edge.

Chris Sumner, Living On The Edge.
Chris Sumner, Living On The Edge.

Joanna on Megaphone, Darlington, Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.
Joanna on Megaphone, Darlington, Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and John Furse, Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and John Furse, Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.

DDeborah Harrington at Parliament, Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.
Deborah Harrington at Parliament, Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.

NHS Demo at Parliament, Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.
NHS Demo at Parliament, Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.

Professor Stephen Hawking. Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019
Professor Stephen Hawking. Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.

Scroll down for reviews of 'Blind Flight', 'Looks That Kill', 'Living On The Edge' and 'Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy 2014-2019.


BLIND FLIGHT 2003

Blind Flight, the sole authorised film dramatisation of Brian Keenan and John McCarthys’s ordeal as hostages in Lebanon and starring Ian Hart and Linus Roache, was released in the UK in April 2004. The film was premiered at the London and Dublin Film Festivals. It was selected for the TriBeCa (New York), Sydney, Taormina, Karlovy Vary, Melbourne, Auckland & Wellington, Hamburg and Stockholm festivals. (see Awards and References)

See Internet Movie Database (IMDB) audience poll/reviews.
.

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quote startThe movie (BLIND FLIGHT) of the incarceration of Brian Keenan and John McCarthy is a triumph, anchored by brilliant central performances. An intensely physical movie, full of arresting detail and memorable moments. A major addition to the (prison film) canon.quote end The Observer - Philip French’s Top Five Films:
11.04.04

quote startFurse’s assured feature debut is made stronger by central performances that don’t flinch from the physical and psychological truths of the situation. Equally fascinating is the understanding the film offers the captors. This is a truly inspirational, moving, intimate and compassionate reading of these true events.quote end**** Empire: April 2004

quote startTwo of the best male performances of the last year. quote endScreen International BAFTA 2004 Film Awards

quote startThrilling captive ordeal. BLIND FLIGHT makes for a gripping movie. quote end**** The Irish Examiner: 21.03.04

quote startBLIND FLIGHT is a docudrama that feels unusually authentic, partly because its performances are so powerful. Mr Hart gives a taut, incendiary portrayal of a principled contrarian whose independence is alternately admirable and infuriating. Mr Roache is equally impressive in the less spectacular role of a more urbane Englishman. The movie has an inspirational subtext. quote endThe New York Times - lead review by Stephen Holden: 5.05.04

quote startA superbly acted and intelligent drama of incarceration.  It's not a docudrama so much as an intimate, psychologically acute tone poem. Exemplifies a simple dramatic power, a purity that makes the film not only engaging and moving, but also deeply humane. quote end **** All Movie Guide: 26.10.04

quote startA wonderfully realised account of a true story, capturing the nuances of the spirit, not merely relaying the shadows of the facts. quote endUrban Cinephile, Australia: 29.09.04

quote startDirected and co-written by John Furse BLIND FLIGHT is a wholly believable and deeply moving story. Those who seek it out will be rewarded with a film of great resonance. It is brilliantly unsentimental. Ian Hart and Linus Roache give memorably unadorned performances. quote endHollywood Reporter: 27.04.04

quote startAbsorbing viewing in BLIND FLIGHT, an Odd Couple movie with a refreshing spin. Strong performances by Ian Hart and Linus Roache. Chemistry between the two actors is exceptionally good, with plenty of ironic humour. quote end Variety: 12.10.03

quote startFilm-maker John Furse makes an auspicious feature debut, aided by two exceptional performances. Deeply moving portrait of friendship and solidarity in the face of imprisonment and appalling deprivation. A production that makes the most of its modest resources BLIND FLIGHT reveals a mature judgment in the handling of material, refusing to sensationalise or wallow in melodrama but staying true to the dramatic truth of the events. The physical commitment and emotional acuity of the performances are further testimony to Furse’s assured touch.quote end Screen International: 26.03.04

quote startA meticulously constructed film that finds the poetry in even the most squalid prison settings. A gripping story about the power of the human will. quote end A- Mixed Reviews: 15.05.04

quote startA startlingly moving and memorable film. Powerful and haunting. Hart and Roache are astonishing - raw and exposed...with very little dialogue. And when they do speak it’s even more revelatory. This is sensitive and remarkably astute filmmaking, expertly directed on a simple scale and written with insight and humour. Both a valuable movie about the world’s political situation and a vital cinematic document. quote end **** Shadows on the Wall: 04.04

quote startPowerfully emotive and utterly compelling. Tour de force performances of such emotional depth and realism you can almost taste their fears. quote end**** Time Out: 7-14.04.04

quote startBLIND FLIGHT is a superbly acted, well-written true-life drama that is by turns frightening, disturbing and uplifting. There's also a surprising amount of humour in the film. quote end **** London Movie Review: 9.12.04

quote startPowerful drama. Hart and Roache bring the experiences of these two very different men vividly to life. quote end **** BBC Radio Times Film Guide 2005

quote startMesmerising.  The acting is extraordinary.  Most impressive is director John Furse’s refusal to stereotype their captors. quote end The Sunday Telegraph: 11.04.04

quote startThe film extracted from (the hostages’) plight is altogether more complex than standard screen treatments of opposites drawn together under pressure, and even though the movie telescopes the years of their captivity into just over an hour and a half, it credibly captures the sheer tedium and claustrophobia of their shared experiences while at the same time never turning tedious for the viewer. BLIND FLIGHT marks an auspicious cinema debut for director John Furse. quote end **** The Irish Times: 19.02.04

quote startTwo outstanding performances are the bedrock of this valuable and heartfelt dramatic realisation of the Beirut hostage experiences of Brian Keenan and John McCarthy. quote end **** The Guardian: 9.04.04

quote startTwo men marooned in a world without echo or explanation. Ian Hart (Keenan) and Linus Roache (McCarthy) act their socks off. quote end **** The Financial Times: 8.04.04

quote startClaustrophobic and intense but the exceptional performances make it utterly compelling.quote end **** The Daily Express: 9.04.04

quote start Top-class drama. quote end **** The Evening Standard: 17.10.06

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LOOKS THAT KILL  2000

Looks That Kill, the first-ever documentary about the little known mental condition Body Dysmorphic Disorder, was broadcast on BBC1 Inside Story on March 7th 2000. It attracted 4 million viewers, a very big audience for a documentary, and resulted in nationwide initiatives to provide support and treatment for sufferers.

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quote startGail has been cutting herself since she was 13 years old and spends five hours a day applying make-up in a desperate bid to disguise her “hideous” looks. In this painfully honest, sometimes shocking, but ultimately hopeful film, we follow Gail’s attempts to come to terms with a condition that she feels has made the past eight years of her life a total waste. It’s a truly absorbing piece of TV that will leave you steeped in admiration for the courage, and incredible honesty, of both Gail and the loved ones that support her. quote end ***** Heat: 04.00

quote start In this moving film, sensitively produced by John Furse, a former sufferer himself, we follow Gail as she tries to come to terms with her condition. She makes a real breakthrough when, following the advice of a psychologist, she bravely auditions as a singer for a local band, and gets the job. quote endThe Weekend Mirror Today’s Highlight: 7.03.00

quote startThis documentary makes for disturbing viewing as the story unfolds of a young woman who believes that she is ugly and takes drastic steps to correct the ‘problem’. quote end TV Quick Top TV:Best Real Life: 7.03.00

quote startThere was a huge response (8192 calls) to ‘Looks That Kill’. The majority phoned for further information on BDD, either wanting to know where they could find out more, or where they could get support. A great proportion came from people thinking that they may be suffering from the condition. Many mothers called with concerns about their daughters, but sons were also a concern. quote end BBC Audience Lines: 04.00

quote startNot only does Gail take an enormous step forward by appearing on camera in public, she also deliberately appears in a skimpy top and, at times, with no make-up at all, and is chosen as the lead singer of a band. quote endThe Sunday Times Critics’ Choice: 7.03.00

quote start As a result of your excellent programme on body dysmorphic disorder the National Phobics Society (NPS) has had over 2000 telephone calls over the past two days from people all over the UK who previously thought they were suffering alone with this problem. As a result of this wonderful response we are already setting up a network of support groups exclusively for those with BDD. quote end National Phobics Society: 04.00



LIVING ON THE EDGE  1987

Director Mike Grigsby and I, as producer/writer/co-deviser, were given carte blanche by Central TV to make a ‘state of the nation’ documentary about Thatcher’s Britain during its late 1980’s Boom. In a rare initiative for a network documentary, and with the help of the British Film Institute, a 35 mm ‘blow-up’ of Living On The Edge was theatrically distributed on the art-house circuit. It later received its network broadcast on November 7th 1987.

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quote startLiving On The Edge is a remarkably successful and intensely moving, fusion of two different visions. On the one hand it is a clear continuation of Mike Grigsby’s quite remarkably consistent oeuvre, which has allowed the exploited, the forgotten, the taken-for-granted, the voiceless to speak at some length and in their own words.
On the other hand it relates to a long-term project undertaken by John Furse, the film’s producer and co-deviser, entitled The Struggle For The Land which he wrote but never filmed. In this he attempted to analyse what he terms the “selling of reality”, utilising collage form to discuss the historical forces at work in moulding people’s everyday experience. quote end Julian Petley: The Monthly Film Bulletin: 06.87

quote startIts particular principles and methods of construction make it one of the most original documentaries to be shown on British national television during the 1980’s. quote end John Corner: The Art Of Record, Manchester
University Press 1996

quote startMuch the most moving film of the week, and probably the month, too... quote end Derek Malcolm: The Guardian Film Review: 05.87

quote startSuperb documentary. Poetic, perceptive and often profoundly moving. quote endTime Out: Film Critics’ Top 10 Choice: 05.87

quote startGrigsby’s masterpiece, a stark but subtle study of the ‘state of the nation’. quote endMichael Grigsby & the Documentary Tradition: National Film Theatre 2004

quote startMichael Grigsby is a scandalously overlooked member of the generation of British cineastes like Peter Watkins, Ken Loach and John Schlesinger who forged their first works in television. A remarkable example (of his work) is ‘Living On The Edge’, which has as its apogee a long, gripping scene where a bankrupt farming family read, on the edge of tears, a poem by the eldest son. quote end Cahiers Du Cinema: 12.06


GROUNDSWELL: THE GRASSROOTS BATTLE FOR THE NHS AND DEMOCRACY 2014-2019

A unique insider's record of the battle by ordinary people from across the social and political spectrum to save Britain's National Health Service (NHS) from covert takeover by global free-marketeers who have dominated society for over 30 years.

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quote startAn urgent, compelling film that needs to be seen
widely. quote end
The Independent: July 6th 2018

quote startGroundswell is a very important documentary film. It marks an important moment in our social history...fantastic and very moving. quote end John McCarthy, broadcaster & author

quote startIt evokes a deeply felt sense of loss for one of the great humanitarian achievements of the past century while at the same time exploring the increasing disillusionment with the effects of globalisation on our democracy. The film is inspirational.quote end Dr Austin Connor GP, North Devon

quote startA highly individual, remarkably sophisticated piece of filmmaking. Brings to mind Chris Marker and Peter Watkins. It is both highly personalised, and analytically complex. It is rare to see a film that explores complex issues and attitudes with such clarity. Extraordinary…moving and humbling. quote endArchie Tait, ex-ICA Cinema Director

quote startGoes a long way to explain the Corbyn phenomenon. quote endLord David Owen, ex-Labour Minister Of Health

quote startA very important and very inspiring film. quote end Roger Graef, TV producer

quote startShocking and eye opening. Watch and worry a lot. quote end Jerome Burne, Daily Mail/FT journalist, ex-TimeOut Editor

quote startIt had a massive impact here on the Isle Of Wight! quote end Christine Lightbody, Newport, Isle of Wight

quote startFilmmaker John Furse has been following the grassroots campaign to save the NHS from its stealthy take-over by American health corporations for the last 4 years. With next to no budget, self-taught as a cinematographer, but fuelled by passion as well as forensic curiosity and a heart-full of empathy, he has made an exemplary campaign film that works as fast-paced and informative current affairs documentary as well as a vigorous call to action. A cracking, powerful and accessible film that should be distributed widely. I cannot recommend the film too highly.quote end Mark Kidel, arts documentary filmmaker and journalist

quote startA compelling and surprising film about the secret assaults on a core British institution the NHS. quote endPeter York, author & broadcaster

quote startRemarkable…invaluable. quote end Stephen Ridley, Uckfield, East Sussex

quote startThis brilliant film portrays how powerful grassroots campaigning can be and what an extraordinary group of dedicated people are succeeding to achieve in altering policy on the NHS. quote endReuben Ramsey, The Hastings Independent

quote startWatch this brilliant documentary about the 30 years of NHS privatisation by stealth. quote endEwa Sidorenko, University Sociology Lecturer, on Facebook

quote startYour film is a superb history of the onslaught our NHS is
facing. quote end
Alan Lauder, Wakefield

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