News - The Reluctant Revolutionary

The Reluctant Revolutionary' is Sean McAllister's latest film, it received its television première on Monday 19th March as part of the 'Storyville' strand on (UK) BBC Four. The Hollywood Reporter said; "A breathless pace, a sense of black humor and a great central character make The Reluctant Revolutionary one of the most immediate and accessible descriptions of the Arab Spring yet to emerge."

*Important - Following the UK broadcast of The Reluctant Revolutionary we have had an overwhelming amount of questions about Kais and his future, his family, and whether or not it is possible to help him fulfil his dream. Please see the Support Kais page on my blog for some information on how you can help him, Thanks... Sean.

Sean McAllister at Sundance

Sean McAllister wins at Sundance

Sean McAllister: Documentary filmmaker

After leaving school at 16 Sean worked in and out of factories before finding a camera and filming his way into the National Film School. He graduated in 1996. Since 1996 Sean McAllister has made films for both the BBC and Channel 4; working in the UK, Israel, Iraq, Japan, and most recently Syria, and The Yemen.

Sean's films portray, with characteristic intimacy and frankness, people from different parts of the world who are struggling to survive but are survivors, caught up in political and personal conflict, trying to make sense of the world we live in.

From his early films Working For The Enemy (1997) and The Minders (1998), both nominated for a Royal Television Society Awards, to his more recent successes, Sundance Jury Prize-winning The Liberace Of Baghdad (2004) and Japan: A Story Of Love And Hate (2008), Sean's work continues to inspire, to surprise and to fascinate audiences.

"The great thing about Sean's films is that he champions the characters in his documentaries, he always takes a loser and makes them a winner." - D A Pennebaker

"I made the first film to escape from the factory. I had got the story there. I sent it to Bournemouth cinema school. They admitted me on the spot and wanted to make the film. They offered a whole crew with cranks and all. I refused. They insisted. I left and went back to the factory with a camera in my bag. I would film whenever the supervisor was out of sight. I would get my camera out. The supervisor would clock me and shout. I once shot him as he was screaming at me, it was then that I understood what makes drama." - Sean McAllister

"My duty as a filmmaker is to get beyond the performance" - Sean McAllister

"I get as close as I can... I pull the trigger" - Sean McAllister

"Thanks for making this film. We need more documentaries like this because they are showing us the things that our news isn't." - Aileen Quigley