The Hexagonal Hive And A Mouse In A Maze

Source: Sheffield DocFest

‘The Hexagonal Hive And A Mouse In A Maze’

Tilda Swinton’s feature directorial debut The Hexagonal Hive And A Mouse In A Maze, co-directed with Bartek Dziadosz, will world premiere in competition at Sheffield DocFest (June 12-17) as the full programme is unveiled.

The 109-strong line-up includes 48 world premieres, 14 international and 17 European.

Swinton and her co-director travel the world in The Hexagonal Hive And A Mouse In A Mouse to explore the concept of learning. The documentary was first introduced at Sheffield’s MeetMarket in 2018.

All the competition titles are world premieres including the latest from Croatian filmmaker Goran Devic, Pavillon 6 which surrounds Croatia’s fight for the Covid-19 vaccination. 

This strand also features Landon Van Soest’s Light Darkness Light about one of the first recipients of a bionic eye; and Daniel Newell Kaufman’s Stone Mountain about America’s relationship with its racist past.

In the international first feature competition is the world premiere of Sareen Hairabedian’s My Sweet Land about a young boy’s experience of war in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. 

Also world premiering in this strand is Kilometre from Ukrainian filmmaker Hanna Tykha, about a Chinese factory complex in Ethiopia; and Inma de Reyes’ The Boy And The Suit Of Lights, about a young boy with dreams of being a bullfighter in Spain.

Highlights of the Rhythms strand include the world premiere of Toby L’s blur: To The End using archive footage to portray the band gearing up for their album tour.

Idris Elba is among the speakers at this year’s festival, discussing Channel 4 series Defiance: Fighting The Battle For British History which he also narrates. Other speakers include author Simon Reeve, editor Walter Murch and the previously announced guest of honour Roger Ross Williams.

As previously announced, the festival opens with Kevin Macdonald’s Klitschko: More Than A Fight and a new stand is introduced for 2024 focusing on ‘Days Of Reflection’

Sheffield DocFest 2024 line-up

International competition

At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Dir. Maja Novaković

The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze (UK)
Dirs. Tilda Swinton, Bartek Dziadosz

Klitschko: More than a Fight (UK) (Opening Night Film)
Dir. Kevin Macdonald

Light Darkness Light (Can-UK-US)
Dir. Landon Van Soest 

Mother City (S. Afr)
Dirs. Miki Redelinghuys, Pearlie Joubert 

Pavilion 6 (Cro)
Dir. Goran Devic 

Relentless Memory (Chil-Arg) 
Dir. Paula Rodríguez Sickert 

Stone Mountain (US)
Dir. Daniel Newell Kaufman

International first feature competition 

*denotes world premiere

Bad Reputation* (Uru-Arg)
Dirs. Marta García, Sol Infante Zamudio

The Boy and the Suit of Lights* (Scot-UK)
Dir. Inma de Reyes 

Dreams Travel With the Wind (Col)
Dir. Inti Jacanamijoy 

Kilometre* (Ukr)
Dir. Hanna Tykha

Made in Ethiopia (Eth-US-UK)
Dirs. Xinyan Yu, Max Duncan

My Sweet Land* (US-Fr-Ire)
Dir. Sareen Hairabedian

Silent Men* (Scot-UK)
Dir. Duncan Cowles 

Yintah (Can)
Dirs. Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano