The papers and recordings of the pioneering investigative TV journalist Alan Whicker have been donated to the BFI National Archive, providing a fascinating treasure trove of one of the most influential careers in British television history. Whicker’s documentary subjects included the Miss World competition, Haiti’s dictator Papa Doc, and the hippies of San Francisco, all investigated “with an inquiring mind and a sceptical tone”, notes the BFI.
The 90 boxes of papers include a school report from 1938, documents relating to his war career, hand-annotated question cards, and transcripts of every TV programme he made, including Whicker’s World, along with some as yet unidentified films.
No safety net required
Looks like the howls of protest that greeted Andrew Garfield’s exit from the Spider-Man franchise were misplaced. Garfield, said the fans, was the perfect Spider-Man. The decision of Marvel bosses to replace him with the younger Tom Holland was akin to firing him. What would Garfield do without the franchise that launched him on the global stage?
The answer appears to be, “very nicely, thank you”. Since fleeing the clutches of the web-slinger, Garfield has fallen on his feet, next to Liam Neeson and Adam Driver, with a role in Martin Scorsese’s hotly anticipated missionary drama Silence. He has also nabbed the lead role in the Second World War epic Hacksaw Ridge, the “comeback” movie for the former Hollywood pariah Mel Gibson.
Even better, Garfield has signed to play the lead in the potential awards season magnet Breathe, about a polio sufferer who travels the world, refusing to be defined by his illness (like the polio version of Eat Pray Love). In short, not too shabby, Spidey. Not too shabby at all.
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Sheffield of dreams
Britain’s biggest documentary festival has announced its full programme, starting with Michael Moore’s comedic political attack Where to Invade Next. The 23rd Sheffield Doc/Fest has 160 features and shorts, including 27 world premieres.
The festival, which opens on June 10, will unveil Serena, a “verité-style portrait” of the tennis star Serena Williams, and screen a profile of the American poet Maya Angelou. There will also be a celebration of the work of the British director Ken Loach, with screenings of The Spirit of ’45 and Cathy Come Home, as well as Louise Osmond’s documentary Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach.