Lyd, which recently played at Melbourne's Palestinian Film Festival, is a cinematic exploration of the city formerly known as Lyd, a place with a rich and tumultuous history that has been shaped by its many inhabitants and the broader geopolitical forces at play.

Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine’s 2016 film Gaza Surf Club tells the story of several Palestinians and their relationship with the sea. Each of them finds a form of liberation while surfing. We see their struggle to form a thriving surf club whilst living under Israeli occupation.

This is one of the most important films in this year’s festival. I would implore anyone wanting to learn more about Palestinian history to watch it. 

Move aside Taylor Swift. The re-release of Stop Making Sense reiterates that Talking Heads still holds the title for the best concert film ever made.

Insightful, hilarious yet emotional, director Ili Baré leads the audience through a surprising journey behind one of the world’s most viewed sports competitions, The Australian Open. 

Time Bomb Y2K delivers an earnest archival examination, unraveling the intricacies of the Y2K phenomenon – delving deep into the global anticipation for a potential digital doomsday.

All the Beauty is this wonderful study of the marginal, of someone with a heart uncorroded by time in the halls of power, who leverages the success of their life’s work to take on a pure, irredeemable evil.

A powerful story about survival that bleeds hope through the linework.

Summer of Soul is undoubtedly a stunning blend of art and rebellion not likely to ever be seen again on our screens.

Herzog has created a film that magnifies the sensitive balance of nature, simultaneously terrifying and touching, the parallels of science and art, the juxtaposition of the volcano’s fascinating beauty yet ultimate destructive force, and the deaths and the lives of Katia and Maurice Krafft.

Following along within his shadow as the legend discerns locations, chiselling angles and painstakingly slugging through the aftermath of war and the archives of his rent-a-shed, reproduce a well-lived life on the road.

Is Franklin a documentary for climate warriors? Nature enthusiasts? Lovers of Australian history? Soul searchers? Who can say for sure - but I’m sure viewers will each find their own most pressing meaning in it.

Bold and breathtaking in its awe-inspiring images of nature at its most fierce, Fire of Love does what any great nature doco should - not just fascinate, but entertain.

After the rise of, among other things, the #MeToo movement, this event fits into another, darker timeline. It’s within this context that the Netflix Original documentary, Trainwreck: Woodstock ‘99 strives to situate itself.

This is a film for anyone that has ever wanted to look behind the curtain, and find out how the wizard’s magic machine might work. 

Well, this one will do well at parties, presentations or generally just any television that entertains the passive attention of passers-by. The United States of America is certainly not what I expected, although it is exactly what the title promises. 

This film, whilst deeply devastating and distressing, needs to be watched and watched again.

Nowhere to Go... asks us to dive in and look closer.

Baraka is a must-see for anyone who finds themselves with a proclivity towards social sciences, theology, or spirituality.

Jonathan Alley’s version of David McComb’s life is poetic and striking, positioning itself as a deeply affecting Australian story.