Senna

In a poll of professional racing drivers, the late Ayrton Senna of Brazil was rated the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time. But Senna was more than just an amazingly adept driver – he was a source of pride for an entire nation. And when he tragically died during a race in Imola, Italy, in 1994, Brazil declared three days of mourning. 

Filmmakers Asif Kapadia and Manish Pandey have gathered a stunning array of archival footage to tell Senna’s story in his own words, and the words of those who knew and adored him. Their Senna is a beautifully composed documentary that transcends the sports-bio genre.

Asif Kapadia and Manish Pandey join Amanda Palmer, Al Jazeera’s head of entertainment, and the FPS audience for a Q&A that will delight racing fans and open this world to those who think they might not be interested in another story about some sports guy.

Cannes Film Festival wrap-up

Lars von Trier flanked by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg – Cannes

The 2011 edition of the Cannes Film Festival will probably be remembered as one of the best. The Palme d’Or was awarded to a long-recognised master (Terrence Malick, for Tree Of Life), a genuinely nonsensical controversy erupted (Lars von Trier facetiously claiming at a press conference to be a Nazi), and a passel of critically acclaimed films emerged: Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist, Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Aki Kaurismäki’s Le Havre, Joseph Cedar’s Footnote, and more.

The Fabulous Picture Show team was on the ground for the duration, and we present a wrap-up – a preview of goodies to expect at your local art house over the coming year.

Innocent Saturday

Innocent Saturday

This year, in Japan, for the first time in a quarter-century, the real-life nightmare of a nuclear meltdown once again became manifest.

On the 25th anniversary of the disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine, a new feature looks at the people who lived near Chernobyl, in the town of Pripyat – and the fact that Soviet officials withheld information about the meltdown until, for many of them, it was too late.

The film focuses on a young party official who learns of the accident and rushes to fetch his girlfriend and guide them both to safety. 

But events conspire to foil their escape, and they end up at a raucous wedding party, where the unsuspecting guests have the time of their lives while at the same time becoming slowly poisoned with radiation. 

We speak to filmmaker Aleksandr Mindadze about this entertaining yet depressing new film.

This episode of The Fabulous Picture Show can be seen from Friday, January 6 at the following times GMT: Friday: 1930; Saturday: 1430; Sunday: 0430; Monday: 0830.