The Archivist (Cinecity)

Part of Cinecity 2026 at Depot. Q&A with directors Rob Curry and Tim Plester, hosted by Frank Gray, founder of Screen Archive South East.

In a battle against time and technology, can ‘Britain’s greatest living folklorist’ find a home for his vast and self-funded archive of irreplaceable audiovisual material?

Following in a noble lineage of Great British nonconformists, David ‘Doc’ Rowe has spent 60 years creating a massive, self-funded audiovisual archive of British folk traditions, customs and songs.

From the directors of Way of the Morris and The Ballad of Shirley Collins, The Archivist follows this indefatigable man through the wheel of a year like no other – capturing not only his efforts to get back on the road despite health issues and Covid lockdowns, but also his crusade to find a permanent home for his one-of-a-kind collection.