Adam Curtis – All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace

Without a doubt Adam Curtis is one of the most important documentary makers alive today. His work isn't just ground breaking in it's messaging, the sheer volume of information and the way he delivers is food for thought itself. Using a mixture of well found retro footage and expert narration, Curtis delivers his own distinct form of sociopolitical theatre. Even if you were to completely disagree with him, it's utterly thought-provoking and entertaining. It's possibly the only reason to own a TV.

Curtis completed a Bachelor of Arts in Human Sciences at the University of Oxford, where he studied genetics, evolutionary biology, psychology, politics, sociology and elementary statistics. Curtis also taught Politics there for a time.

His work has received more than a few awards to date – here's a run down of our favourites:

1992 – Pandora's Box – examines the dangers of technocratic and political rationality – BAFTA Award for Best Factual Series.

1996 - 25 Million Pounds – study of Nick Leeson, collapse of Barings Bank – Winner at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

1997 – The Way of All Flesh – The story of Henrietta Lacks - Golden Gate award.

1999 – The Mayfair Set – the climate of the Thatcher years - BAFTA Award for Best Factual Series.

2002 – The Century of the Self - Edward Bernays' development of public relations - Broadcast Award, Longman Award.

2004 - The Power of Nightmares - the rise of Islamism and Neoconservatism - BAFTA for Best Factual Series

2007 – The Trap – a series addressing the modern concepts of freedom.

Curtis has also provided many snippets of brilliance to the Charlie Brooker series Screenwipe in 2007 and Newswipe in 2009. What more you could ask for I do not know.

His current series All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace is now showing on BBC 2 / iPlayer and is utterly essential watching. It is a series of films about how humans have been colonised by the machines they have built. Although we don't realise it, the way we see everything in the world today is through the eyes of the computers.

Episode one of 3 is available now – I recommend watching it 3 times at least and take notes too.

iPlayer