Beth Orton

550 artists were interviewed over ten years. At some point during those interviews, they were asked a question and told to answer with one word only. Some stuck to one, some said more, some answered quickly, some thought it through, and some didn't answer at all. That question… Lennon or McCartney?

The Old, Weird America tracks the history of the Anthology of American Folk Music from its initial compilation of 78 records from rural Americana to its 1952 release on Folkways Records, the urban folk revival of the 1960s, and its continuing influence on contemporary music.

Inspired by musician and eco-philosopher David Rothenberg's book of the same title, this documentary explores the intriguing, charming, complex and often conflicting theories on why birds sing like they do and why humans are so attracted to the sound. The film features contributions from musicians including Laurie Anderson, Jarvis Cocker and Beth Orton; enlightening and often startling analysis from some of the world's most eminent birdsong scientists; a literary guide to birdsong in poetry; a bizarre birdsong-themed art 'happening'; the creation of a new musical composition from the Afro-Celt Sound System, entirely made up of manipulated birdsongs; and a strange musical duet at New York's Bronx Aviary, featuring humans and birds.

This honest and often blackly hilarious film shows Martyn at home in Ireland, during the lead-up to and aftermath of an operation to have one of his legs amputated below the knee. Contributors include sometime collaborator and buddy Phil Collins, the late Robert Palmer, Ralph McTell, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, fellow hellraiser bassist Danny Thompson, John's ex-wife Beverley Martyn and younger generation fan Beth Orton. We see a man incapable of compromising his creative vision, from his folk club roots in the Sixties, through a career of continuous musical experimentation. Along the way there is a surreal roll-call of accidents and incidents, including a collision with a cow

Profile of veteran country singer Emmylou Harris, witnessing the heady success of her career while also discussing her late flowering of intensely personal and groundbreaking music, dealing with loss and the passing years.

Following up on her 2000 opus Suspicious River, Lynne Stopkewich directs this documentary about the final Lilith Fair. Launched in 1997 by Sarah McLachlan and a host of other female singer/songwriters, the concert series quickly became one of the most popular, and profitable, tours of the late '90s. Stopkewich, along with her crew, tagged along during the 2000 tour, traveling to 42 shows across the continent. Rising early and crashing late -- often in the bus as it drives to the next destination, Stopkewich's crew quickly gets a taste of the rigors of life on the road. Along the way, they interview fans, crew, tech staff, and the stars. Apart from such documentary footage, Lilith also features performances from McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders, Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, and sundry other.