Michael Cockerell: Political Documentary Filmmaking | FORTE

Michael Cockerell is a veteran BBC broadcaster and Emmy Award-winning documentarian, with a career that incorporates many long-form documentaries. He specialises in films that paint in-depth portraits of subjects such as Margaret Thatcher, Edward Heath, Enoch Powell, Tony Blair and Boris Johnson.
He's recently had his films broadcasted on BBC Newsnight such as 'Who is Ed Miliband?' and 'Theresa May's Legacy'.
My personal favourite of his work is 'How to be Home Secretary', an illuminating peek into the mysterious inner workings of the Home Office.
Click here to buy Michael Cockerell's 2021 book 'Unmasking Our Leaders' detailing his journalistic life as a reporter and filmmaker:
www.waterstones.com/book/unma...
Michael Cockerell documentaries:
Theresa May's Legacy: • Theresa May’s legacy b...
Who is Ed Milband?: • Who is Ed Miliband? By...
Odd Man Out (Enoch Powell Documentary): • Odd Man Out | A Film P...
How to be Home Secretary: • How to be Home Secretary
Boris vs. Dave: The History of their rivalry: • Boris v Dave: The hist...
Timestamps:
(0:17) Why was television such a big influence on you?
(6:15) Why did roving reporters catch your attention?
(7:01) Christopher Hitchens
(12:00) Doing job in war zones
(13:00) Discussing politics in the family
(15:58) Thoughts on being in power
(19:00) Liz Truss as a political documentary subject
(22:23) First political film
(25:45) Response to Alfred Hitchcock
(30:08) Filming 'How to be Home Secretary'
(33:32) Visualising the documentary
(36:52) Storyboarding
(43:40) Cockerell's approach to editing
(48:49) Doubts about fulfilling the role of political documentary filmmaker?
(50:37) Most difficult struggle in your life?
(54:11) Advice for aspiring political documentarians

[@t.p.mckenna]

To hear that marvellous soft, evocative voice intone ... 'Inside the head of Liz Truss ...' recalls the finest canon of political portraits ever produced by one broadcaster.
He has been garlanded from time to time, but nothing like his contribution to British politics and life properly deserves.
I'd have to say that I hope there aren't thousands of aspiring Cockerell's out there. An aspect of our political media scene these days is that there are too many voices and far too much partisan coverage. Cockerell was out there as singular voice, but with a great sense of journalistic detachment . He was eminently trustworthy in that regard and the politicians he'd interview would be more frank and open than in the average daytime knockabout where they'd invariably have their guard up.