People Planet Pictures, Storyhouse’s series of impactful films and urgent conversations in partnership with UK for Good, returns this autumn with two powerful documentaries, each to be followed by a live Q&A with the filmmakers and activists driving change.
This strand invites audiences to discover extraordinary films that shine a light on today’s most pressing social and environmental issues and to join the conversation about how we respond.
Winner of Best Feature Film at the Environmental Film & Screenplay Festival 2025, Liz Smith’s documentary The Line We Crossed will be shown on Thursday 18 September and examines the erosion of protest rights in Britain.
One of three interwoven stories it follows activist Trudi Warner, arrested for standing silently outside a UK court with a sign affirming the independence of juries. The act that sparked the Defend Our Juries movement.
The Storyhouse screening will be followed by a panel with director Liz Smith and activist Trudi Warner.
Liz Smith said, “It is a film that lends itself to viewing with an audience because there is a lot to process. The panels that have followed have provided an important space in which to discuss the pressing issues the film raises.”
Following its world premiere at Sheffield DocFest this summer, Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell’s heartfelt documentary Power Station will then be shown on Tuesday 7 October. Power Station follows the duo’s turbulent but inspiring journey to transform their London neighbourhood into a community-run energy powerhouse — a prototype for sustainable living.
Director Dan Edelstyn will join audiences for a post-screening discussion and said, “This is a film about renewable energy but most importantly about imagining our way through into a kinder and more sustainable world.”
Writer and activist Rob Hopkins adds, “You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll kickstart a community-led renewable energy revolution. Without exaggeration, this is one of the most important films ever made. Everyone needs to see it.”
Donna Okell, Founder and Director of UK for Good, explains why the strand matters, “Data alone doesn’t move us, but emotion does. People Planet Pictures is about using exceptional films to help people feel the urgency, imagine a better future, and believe they have a part in shaping it.”
With The Line We Crossed and Power Station, Storyhouse continues the mission of People Planet Pictures: to spark urgent conversations and inspire meaningful change.
For full cinema listings and tickets visit www.storyhouse.com/cinema
For further information, please contact:
Nicky Beaumont, Head of Cinema
nicky.beaumont@storyhouse.com
About Storyhouse
Storyhouse is a charity and independent arts centre dedicated to serving its community. All profits go back into maintaining our space, ensuring it remains free, open and accessible to all. We are home to a library, theatres, a restaurant and an independent cinema that showcases a handpicked selection of films from around the world. We are open seven days a week as a space for people to work, relax and play.
We run more than 2,000 sessions annually, supporting marginalised groups and creating a welcoming space for all. Our theatre productions, known as Storyhouse Originals, are created and produced in-house, including Chester’s Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, established in 2010. Throughout the year, we also host a range of festivals, such as the Chester Literature Festival, Storyhouse Queer, Storyhouse Women, Storyhouse Elders, Storyhouse Childless, WayWord Children’s Festival, Moonlight Flicks open air cinema and Kaleidoscope Festival, all co-programmed with members of the communities they serve.
Storyhouse also runs education and training programmes for some of the most underserved young people in the city, offering transformative opportunities to engage, learn and grow.
Website: www.storyhouse.com
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