Manolo: the Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards

Manolo Blahnik, the designer whose haute couture footwear made him a household name among followers of fashion, takes centre stage in a documentary portrait revealing a uniquely charismatic craftsman and creator. Those who are sceptical shoes can be an art form may not quite be won over, yet to see the septuagenerian Blahnik at his drawing board is to witness inspiration at work. London in the early 1970s proved the launch pad for the boy from the Canary Islands - whose happy childhood memories provide the film's playful title - while 80s New York and subsequent beatification on TV's Sex and the City made his hand-crafted pumps and mules must-have items for those who could afford them. Various celebrity cohorts, including former Vogue editor Anna Wintour and pop star Rihanna sing his praises, yet the figure who emerges from this straightforward, slightly over-extended chronicle, is a genuine one-off - a tireless worker, inveterate dreamer, flamboyant dresser and somewhat solitary eccentric.