Run Wrake is an English filmmaker, animation director, and music video director. He studied graphic design at Chelsea College of Arts before completing a master's degree in animation at the Royal College of Art in London. In this interview for the BBC's Channel 4, he describes some of his films, their inception, and their production. He also comments on technological and cultural developments that have changed how animated films are produced and perceived.
Banksy and the Rise of Outlaw Art (2020)
Banksy is the world's most infamous street artist, whose political art, criminal stunts and daring invasions have outraged the establishment for over two decades. Featuring rare interviews with Banksy, this is the story of how an outlaw artist led a revolutionary new movement and built a multi-million dollar empire, while his identity remained shrouded in mystery.
Into the Deep: America, Whaling & The World (2010)
Examine the American whaling industry from its 17th-century origins in drift and shore whaling off the coast of New England and Cape Cod, through the golden age of deep ocean whaling, the tragedy of the Essex, and the career of Moby Dick's Herman Melville, and on to its demise in the decades following the American Civil War.
Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur (2016)
David Attenborough tells the story of the discovery and reconstruction in Argentina of the world's largest-known dinosaur, a brand new species of titanosaur.
Smut Hounds (2015)
It’s a story that made headlines: “Festival Film Banned!” In the late 1960s, the majority of films screened in Australia were censored in some way or another. DELETE the lovemaking. CUT the ‘Open Mouth Kissing’. REMOVE the fondling of the breast sequence. Deemed too ‘inappropriate’ and ‘morally corrupting’ for Australian eyes, these scenes were hacked from feature films and locked away in government archives. When young Sydney Film Festival director David Stratton attempted to program a Swedish film that the censors believed contained ACTUAL sex, a scandal erupted. In a mash-up of never-before-seen banned clippings, SMUT HOUNDS tells the story of how seventy-seven seconds of celluloid scandalised a government and transformed Australian cinema.
Avicii - I'm Tim (2024)
Before Avicii, there was Tim. Through his own words, witness how a prodigious musical talent became one of the defining artists of his generation.
Michael Douglas: The Prodigal Son (2023)
As the eldest son of the legendary actor and producer Kirk Douglas (1916-2020), it was not easy for Michael Douglas to make his way in Hollywood and, like his father, become a recognized actor and a prestigious producer.
Disaster Capitalism (2018)
A documentary that reveals the underbelly of the global aid and investment industry. It's a complex web of interests that span the earth from powerful nations and multinational corporations to tribal and village leaders. This documentary offers unique insights into a multi-billion dollar world by investigating how aid dollars are spent.
The Last Movie Painter (2020)
A fantastic journey through the world of Renato Casaro, one of the most important illustrators that the world’s film poster industry has ever known.
(On the Quest for) Belgrade Underground (2012)
"(On the Quest for) Beograd Underground" is an independent documentary film in the form of a sequence of interviews with alternative artists from Serbia who have dedicated their lives to the creation of one (sub)culture, very rich in its nuances, yet very precarious in its existence. Numerous artists speak of their conceptions of the underground as a movement, a way of perceiving reality, a way of social engagement, and even a way of living. The specific socio-historical condition in the '90s resulted in intensive artistic activity as a response to the totalitarian regime. This film is a collection of the personal experiences of artists who were involved in the underground scene since the '90s until the first decade of the new millennium.
Last Day of Freedom (2015)
When Bill Babbitt realizes his brother Manny has committed a crime he agonizes over his decision to call the police.
Welcome to Lynchland (2025)
Creator of absolute freedom, David Lynch constructed his work as an enigma to be deciphered between dream and reality. A cult director from his first films ("Eraserhead", "Elephant Man", "Blue Velvet"), Lynch forever changed the world of television with his series "Twin Peaks", before tackling the lies of Hollywood in "Mulholland Drive". Tracing the life of the most influential filmmaker of his generation, this documentary explores the hidden meaning of a relentlessly consistent filmography and delves beneath the dark, teeming surface of the American Dream.
Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear (2022)
Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.
No Limits (2015)
His new adventure takes Zanardi to one of the most famous endurance races in the world: The 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. He shares the cockpit of the BMW GT race car with two of the fastest men in the sport: Ex-Formula 1 driver Timo Glock and touring-car champ Bruno Spengler. They form nothing less than an all-star team of race-track pioneers, going beyond limits and limitations. Never before has a handicapped driver competed in a 24 hour race on this level with able-bodied drivers. The documentary covers the whole story: From their first get-together at BMW headquarters in Munich until the lights turn green in Belgium and the Iron Man with plastic legs limps into his racing car, changing seat and steering wheel with his teammate. But for Alex Zanardi, even after the marathon race, his mission is not over. Only four days later, he is eager to defend his white jersey at the Handcycle World Championship in Switzerland - an outrageous challenge, even for the man with no limits.
Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)
From the rains of Japan, through threats of arrest for 'public indecency' in Canada, and a birthday tribute to her father in Detroit, this documentary follows Madonna on her 1990 'Blond Ambition' concert tour. Filmed in black and white, with the concert pieces in glittering MTV color, it is an intimate look at the work of the icon, from a prayer circle before each performance to bed games with the dance troupe afterwards.
Indyfans (2008)
Amid the release of the fourth Indiana Jones movie, filmmaker Brandon Kleyla chronicles the fanaticism of the whip-carrying admirers and interviews various filmmakers, archaeologists and writers about the Indy franchise. Viewers learn why archaeologist Indiana Jones and his many adventures have spawned die-hard, convention-going fans for more than two decades.
Athens, GA Inside/Out (1987)
Led by the success of the B-52's and R.E.M., Athens, Georgia was the most happening music scene in the country by the mid 80's. Following several different bands from different genres, this film paints Athens as a magical artistic environment where bands are not in competition, but co-exist in harmony and share the ideals of the land. Live performances of R.E.M.'s "Swan Swan H" and "Dream (All I Have To Do)" at the Lucy Cobb Institute chapel are included. Also featured are performances and interviews frm the B-52's, Pylon, B-B-Que Killers, Time Toy, Jim Herbert, Flat Duo Jets, Love Tractor, Kilkenny Cats, Squalls and more
My Life in China (2014)
In America, everyone has a family story of immigration. Every family, at some point, has had somebody leave their native country behind to search for a better life. How did they hold onto their identity? How did they adapt to their new life? Every family has a special story. In my case, it's my Chinese-American story. My father would always tell us his story about walking for 7 days and 6 nights, before swimming for 4 hours to Macau to escape communism in 1966. His story would fall on my deaf ears until I returned to China with him.