A Dog Called Money

Award-winning photographer Seamus Murphy turns director for this documentary, which charts the making of PJ Harvey's 2016 album The Hope Six Demolition Project. Inspiration for the record came from the pair's travels in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Georgetown, Washington DC - areas either devastated by war, under military occupation or riven by gangs. Sorrow, fear, poverty and uncertainty exist in those places, but there's also joy in musical expression and religious celebration. With his reporter's eye, Murphy creates his own visual poetry from the locations and the people, while Harvey weaves their everyday stories and struggles into her humanist songs. In another departure from convention, the singer and her band rehearsed and recorded the material in London's Somerset House - in full view of the public - as a kind of living art installation. It's fascinating to see the creative process laid bare in such a way, and the film confirms Harvey's position as a vital and relevant artist who thrives through collaboration and experimentation.