Makers: Our Story

A microbudget, DIY documentary looking at the UK's microbudget, DIY film scene, 'Makers' is self-reflexive and insider-friendly. But anyone interested in how British independent cinema works should certainly take a look. The film is liberally illustrated with clips – some funny, some shoddy, many involving young men waving guns and shouting. The talking heads are a mixed bunch: filmmakers like Nick Nevern and Sally El Hosaini describe their experiences on the fringes of film with intelligence and verve, but others seem to be given room to ramble interminably without saying a great deal (one self-satisfied young student filmmaker is particularly tedious). This despite the fact that the film is seriously overlong – the final summation, in which we look at the state of British indie film, seems to last an age. The result is an enthusiastic, enlightening and inventive documentary which would benefit from some judicious pruning.