Putin's Happy

Jeremy Deller has a special ability to make people feel comfortable. This includes individuals who have varied and at times disturbing opinions. ‘Putin’s Happy’ does not address the feelings of the Russian leader directly, but instead documents the protests around Parliament Square in the wake of the vote for the UK to leave the European Union. The result is a montage of 42 minutes of the wilder, scarier, madder ends of Brexit. As well as allowing people to reveal some of their motivations through interviews, Deller unpicks the far-right visual imagery and accompanying narratives seeping into the protests through flags, banners, tattoos and scrawled messages. The often very angry Leave protestors are peppered with some surprisingly optimistic Remainers. These provide a light at the end of a very strange, very contemporary and very worrying tunnel.

Directed by Jeremy Deller, Putin's Happy leans on a strong ensemble — Nigel Farage, Simon Wallfisch — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2019.