The Palace is delighted to welcome back the Folkestone Documentary Festival! Join us for wonderful films celebrating living traditions of folk and craft connecting our past, present and future.
THE ARCHIVIST (PG) + Special pre-recorded intro by co-director Rob Curry
David “Doc” Rowe has spent 60 years documenting Britain’s vibrant folk traditions, songs, dances and creatures that few others thought worthy of attention, building an extraordinary archive along the way. Now he needs a proper home for all the material he’s accumulated before it disappears. Told through the wheel of a year of folk happenings across the country, this is a celebration of a man who is as unique as the traditions he’s dedicated to preserving.
+ short film: THE WEAVERS (12A)
Dir Callum McCulloch-Nowlan / UK 2026 / 10min
Rob Beaton has been weaving tartan and tweed in the Scottish Borders since he was 14. Now 84, he is Scotland’s oldest and longest-serving mill worker, operating 100-year-old traditional shuttle looms in a mill threatened by closure. But elsewhere in Scotland, a different story is unfolding. In Highland Perthshire, a young apprentice is learning the trade and the ancient rhythms of the looms are being passed to a new generation.
The evening will be introduced by James Collie, co-director of Folkestone Documentary Festival
www.folkestonedocumentaryfestival.co.uk
Directors: Rob Curry, Tim Plester
Starring: David “Doc” Rowe
Year: 2026
Language: In English
Country: UK
Running time: 1hr 38mins