Folklore documentary series available to watch on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and YouTube
A Six Part TV Documentary Series
About the Series
A unique approach to the subject...
A unique approach to the subject...
Gatherings is a six-part documentary series exploring Britain's most extraordinary folk rituals and seasonal customs. With compelling interviews, intense action and the use of unseen archives, we explore how these practices are handed down through time, and we see why they are thriving today. Gatherings is your front row seat for the sights, sounds and intensity of ritual.
A unique approach to the subject...
A unique approach to the subject...
A unique approach to the subject...
The films are told entirely via the voices of those who organise and participate in folk rituals, without the use of presenter or narrator. The result is an honest and direct record of these living traditions, capturing how they are prepared, performed and passed on within their communities. Gatherings is a documentary series which reveals much about identity, place and our sense of belonging.
Filmmaker / Director
A unique approach to the subject...
Filmmaker / Director
Since 2006 Dave Brewis has filmed over 100 folk rituals and customs, building an extensive video archive of folklore subject matter primarily from the UK and France. Dave runs production company TEN80. His work is artistically shot, features extraordinary interviews and contains all the building blocks necessary for storytelling across short-form and long-form documentary/factual.
Gatherings: Six Episodes
episode 1
- Title: RUSHBEARING
- Runtime: 29:08
- Location: SOWERBY BRIDGE, WEST YORKSHIRE
- Synopsis: Revived in 1977, the ancient custom of renewing rushes on church floors has evolved into one of Britain's most striking folk processions. This episode follows the preparation behind the two-day Rushbearing Festival. With no presenter or narration, the story is told entirely through the words and actions of its custodians —the chairman, vicar, clogmaker, cartpullers and maidens—offering an unfiltered insight into a ritual that continues to bind a community together. We hear from the man responsible for the revival. We travel with the cart over its two day journey and experience the sights and sounds of this extraordinary folk tradition—deeply rooted in the valley.
episode 2
- Title: THE BURRY MAN
- Runtime: 27:40
- Location: SOUTH QUEENSFERRY, SCOTLAND
- Synopsis: With the use of unseen archives, this documentary explores this extraordinary and unique practice which takes place annually in August. Covered head to toe in sticky burrs the Burry Man walks the streets of South Queensferry as this living tradition unfurls before our eyes. The story is told via interviews with the man inside the costume, and with those who have gone before him. Folklorist and 'dresser' Doc Rowe helps us delve deeply into this act of endurance and sacrifice. The result is a rare unfiltered portrait of a custom deeply rooted in place, memory and identity.
EPISODE 3
- Title: HORN DANCE
- Runtime: 29:09
- Location: ABBOTS BROMLEY, STAFFORDSHIRE
- Synopsis: Once a year a small group of locals set out on an extraordinary journey via the lanes and fields and farms around Abbots Bromley. Come witness what is widely regarded as England's oldest living traditional dance. Told entirely by those who take part, the film invites viewers into a world where continuity, community, and ritual move in time with the dancers. Via the voices of its custodians and unseen archives, Abbots Bromley Horn Dance reveals itself not as a performance, but as a living thread connecting the village to its past.
EPISODE 4
- Title: JETHART BA'
- Runtime: 28:43
- Location: JEDBURGH, SCOTLAND
- Synopsis: Every year on the streets of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, a centuries-old contest erupts between the Uppies and Doonies in a raw, chaotic struggle for possession of the “ba’”—a small leather ball with huge symbolic weight. Played in the streets and alleyways, the game has no referees, no rules and no fixed duration. This episode captures the tension, preparation, and customs of Ba’ Day entirely through the voices and perspectives of those who play and protect the game. With no outside narration, the film offers an unfiltered view of a community at full tilt—where pride, belonging, and endurance collide in one of Britain’s most visceral and ancient folk rituals.
EPISODE 5
- Title: BONFIRE
- Runtime: 29:41
- Location: RYE, SUSSEX
- Synopsis: Each November, the medieval streets of Rye in East Sussex ignite with fire, sound, and ceremony as the town stages one of the most theatrical and defiant bonfire celebrations in Britain. Effigies, torchlit processions, and spectacular fireworks mark a night where history, rebellion, and community spirit burn bright. This episode follows the meticulous preparations and dramatic culmination of Bonfire Night through the voices of those who make it happen—local society members, torchbearers, builders, and marshals—whose pride and effort sustain this fiery tradition. With no narration or outside commentary, the film captures the raw energy and meaning of Rye Bonfire as seen from within, offering an unfiltered perspective on a ritual that fuses folklore, protest, and pageantry. Rye burns its boats!
EPISODE 6
- Title: HAXEY HOOD
- Runtime: 29:26
- Location: HAXEY, LINCOLNSHIRE
- Synopsis: In midwinter each year the quiet village of Haxey in North Lincolnshire becomes the stage for a muddy, sprawling ritual known as Haxey Hood. This ancient and unique game sees up to two hundred men battling to 'sway' a leather tube—“the Hood”—toward one of four local pubs. This film is a deep dive into the folklore surrounding the game, and the story is delivered by those who have lived it for a lifetime. We study the fool and his speech, the role of the boggins and the origins of the game. With the use of unseen archives, we witness exactly how this tradition is passed on. This is a raw and intimate portrait of a community proudly intent on keeping this tradition alive.