Heaven 17's Martyn Ware went three decades without speaking to Phil Oakey of The Human League: a film sat them at one table

The documentary Heaven 17: The Last Temptation, directed by James Strong, screens in London today at the Doc'n Roll festival. It is part tour film, part reconciliation story: Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 decides to reach out to Phil Oakey of The Human League, to whom he has not spoken in three decades.

The organisers announced it on the film's page, and The Sheffield Tribune described the meeting in detail.

The London premiere takes place on 7 November at 13:45 at The Castle Cinema, followed by a Q&A with the director. The world premiere was held in June at Sheffield DocFest. We have not yet found any information about screenings in Ukraine.

Will Phil Oakey show up?

Ware is Oakey's childhood friend and the founder of The Human League. He left the group in 1980, and according to the festival's description he was kicked out just before The Human League became global stars. With Ian Craig Marsh he went on to found Heaven 17. “Starting Heaven 17 was like being set free from prison,” Ware laughs in an interview with MusicRadar.

The film team arranged the meeting at Fagan's pub in Sheffield. Ware arrived first, Oakey was late, and the crew began to fear he would not come. He did arrive, apologised and, as The Sheffield Tribune describes it, looked nervous. Ware asked him: “Why do you think we broke up?” Glenn Gregory, the singer of Heaven 17, sat between them and recalls having tears in his eyes while the two seemed to compete over who could pay the other the most compliments. At a certain age, Ware says, holding a grudge is pointless and petty.

First work together in 45 years

The meeting did not stay on screen. “I've been working with Phil Oakey on music for the first time in 45 years,” Ware told MusicRadar in October. Their track Find Her will appear on the B.E.F. album Music of Quality and Distinction Volume Four: 30 tracks and 22 artists, among them Marc Almond and ABC's Martin Fry. There is no release date yet, as Ware is still looking for a label.

The film itself covers four UK gigs ahead of the band's 50th anniversary: devoted fans, jokes in the back of the tour van, childhood streets and the question of whether this really is the end. The title nods to their hit Temptation, which reached number two in the UK in 1983. James Strong is also known as the director of the series Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

Another music film this month is the rediscovered 1988 Faith tour footage starring George Michael.