Looking into the future through the eyes of Scottish creative film makers is certainly fascinating.
Celebrating its 20th birthday, the National Theatre of Scotland joined forces with BBC Scotland to create a special hybrid project focusing on the country’s future with input from theatre and film makers, actors and artists.
In association with Shakehaus productions, six future facing shots are on screen in October before being launched onto BBC digital platforms in January. The opener at Glasgow Film Theatre saw the audience explore AI, cultural identity, dating, queer love, climate change and cloning, with the personal and the political explored through innovative storytelling which blends theatrical and filmic genres.
Very different in their content, the six are clever, funny and send a real message of what the future holds.
Optimum written by Uma Nada-Rajah and directed by Stewart Laing, see Anna Russell Martin and Ross Man as two strangers who meet for a date in a Glasgow beer garden. An AI system has declared them to be optimally matched and there’s no need for guess work or uncertainty, but can an algorithm really predict love?
Still Alive written and directed by Hope Dickson Leach and performed by Keith Fleming and Nadia Albina features Hector who wakes up, cloned into a younger body by a dubious biotechnology company, his only company, a temp worker at the end of a very long shift. He soon discovers that a second chance at life may not be everything he hoped for.
Bed to the Future written and directed by James Ley and performed by Martin Quinn and Jay Newton see a young Scottish queer couple visit a futuristic bed shop where a simulator promises to reveal the perfect future for.
Broth written by Lesley Hart and directed by Sally Reid sees performers Carmen Pieraccini and Ryan J Mackay sent to compile a television news report from a disappearing coastline. Former news anchor Rona Lawson is recovering from an on-air meltdown which derails her career and the report is her last chance and is where an unexpected friendship helps her discover that the future is not yet written.
Smoke written by Kieran Hurley and directed by Rianne White is performed by Nicolette McCormack with narration by Shirley Manson. This evocative and visually striking digital short film explores the urgency and fear at the heart of the climate crisis.
Un-static written by Natali McCleary and directed by Josefa Celestion is performed by Maureen Carr and James Dawoud. A young man summons a unicorn in search of answers about identity, belonging and purposes, embarking on a magical journey between the weight of the past and the promise of the future.
Following the film showings, lead creatives from the projects are on hand for a question and answer session to help the audience understand the background and messages behind the shots.
The screenings, supported by the Weir Charitable Trust, are at the Filmhouse, Edinburgh on Saturday 3rd October at 3:15pm, Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling on Saturday 3rd October at 5:00pm, Eden Court, Inverness on Monday 5th October at 7:00pm and Merlin Cinema in Ayr on Tuesday 6th October at 7:30pm. For more information, please visit: www.nationaltheatrescotland.com.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Be the first to comment