Trio of Successes for Documentary Students at UCL Anthropology

Students and alumni from UCL Anthropology’s documentary programmes are gaining international attention with a series of recent successes, showcasing the department’s strength in creative and ethnographic filmmaking.

Yifei Zhang, a graduate of the Creative Documentary by Practice MFA, has screened their latest short film, A Journey of the Leaves, at the 2025 Queer East Festival. The film was part of a wider cross-disciplinary programme that showcased boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities.

Gabrielle Dembinski, who recently completed the Ethnographic and Documentary Film (Practical) MA, was longlisted for the 2025 One World Media Awards. Her film, From Milk to Battle, was recognised in the Student Award category, which celebrates compelling student-produced media that highlights impactful and though-provoking stories from the Global South.

Meanwhile, short film Our Existence is a Miracle by Yajun Hu, also an alumnus of the Ethnographic and Documentary Film (Practical) MA, will have its world premiere at Sheffield DocFest this June. The film offers an intimate and moving portrait of life in a care home for disabled individuals in rural China and will be shown as part of the festival’s “Building a Home” shorts programme.

“These achievements are a testament to the talent, creativity, and dedication of our students,” said Dieter Deswarte, Head of the Public Anthropology Section at UCL Anthropology. “It’s inspiring to see them craft such thoughtful and original films - often developed through close collaboration with their peers and the guidance of experienced mentors. At a global university like UCL, we’re proud to showcase the diverse and urgent perspectives our students bring to the world through documentary storytelling. 

Together, these accomplishments point to a growing presence of UCL-educated filmmakers on the global stage. Whether exploring identity, social justice, or underrepresented communities, their work reflects a shared commitment to thoughtful, boundary-pushing documentary practice.