When the London Film Festival (LFF) began in the late fifties, it was labelled ‘The festival of festivals’ because audiences got to view the best of world films screened at other international film festivals such as Cannes and Venice. This year the LFF deserves that title more than ever. Under a new artistic director, the festival has changed its format subtly but significantly. Featuring no less than 333 films from all over the world including feature films, short films, documentaries, animated films, treasures from the archives and experimental films, the public is truly spoilt for choice. The films are arranged under headings designed to attract a broad range of audiences, such as Journey, Cult, Thrill, Laugh, Dare, Debate and Love.

Does the Festival have much to offer health professionals? The answer to that question is an emphatic ‘Yes’. Plenty of films, with an emphasis on the ageing population, provide food for thought—‘older people’ being an emerging demographic in the developed world both as the subject of films and potential film …