Macrobert Arts Centre
Talks | Docs & more
Macrobert Arts Centre is a registered Scottish company and charity. Company no: SC337763 | Charity no: SC039546
TICKETS & INFORMATION VENUE Macrobert Arts Centre, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
BOOKING ONLINE You can book online 24 hours a day at centscotdocufest.org IN PERSON & BY PHONE [01786 466 666] Though we are asking you to book online where possible, our staff will be taking bookings daily between 1.15pm and 7pm.
TICKETS YOU CHOOSE: £4.50 / £6.50 / £8.50
For all films apart from The Big Bike Night: £12.50 / £15 / £17.50 We ask you to choose the ticket price that you can afford. FESTIVAL PASS: £15 / £10 (STUDENTS) Get entry to any film (subject to availability, excluding The Big Bike Night Film).
TERMS & CONDITIONS
All discounts and offers are subject to availability, cannot be retrospectively applied, and are offered at the discretion of the Festival. We’re unable to offer any refunds unless an event is cancelled - full terms and conditions are on the website. Please note all films are subject to certification and the programme is correct at the time of going to print but is subject to change with our prior notice. The Festival cannot be held liable for any arrangements made due to changes to the brochure. Please note there will be no adverts or trailers before any screening at the Central Scotland Documentary Festival, all non-English films will be subtitled and unless otherwise stated all films are rated 18 at the time of going to print please check the website for up-to-date BBFC ratings.
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WELCOME
Grahame Reid Head Curator & Programmer (Central Scotland Documentary Festival) Film Programmer (Macrobert Arts Centre) After what has been a strange time for all of us, it is my absolute pleasure to curate and present our 4th Festival. The Central Scotland Documentary Festival was launched in 2017 as a fully curated and programmed festival to showcase some of the best documentaries that we had seen at festivals throughout the year. This year will see a new addition to the Festival. For the first time, we have invited documentary and non-fiction filmmakers to submit their work. We received entries from 23 countries from all corners of the globe. Our selection committee narrowed these films down to our 12 Official Selections, who now vie for two awards - The Jury Award, selected by an independent panel of industry and academic judges, and The Audience Award, to be voted for by the attendees of CSDF 2021. We look forward to welcoming you to our 2021 programme.
Grahame Reid
THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS & SUPPORTERS
Curated & Presented by Macrobert Arts Centre
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OPENING EVENT
QUANT
Sadie Frost | UK 2021 | 90 mins
QUANT provides an inside look at one of Britain’s most renowned cultural figures, Dame Mary Quant, including contributions from Kate Moss, Vivienne Westwood, Edward Enninful, Dave Davies, Charlotte Tilbury, Jasper Conran and Zandra Rhodes. Quant paved the way for female empowerment through her innovative, affordable, and accessible designs that perfectly embodied women’s newfound freedom during the ‘swinging sixties’ shaping a new generation. Within a decade, her revolutionary designs such as the mini skirt made her a global sensation and household name.
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Blending striking re-enactments with extensive archive footage, QUANT tells the incredible story of how she built an empire. From fashion to homeware to cosmetics, her rebellious approach to design left a legacy of female liberation which is still relevant to this day. Q&A: There will be a post-screening Q&A Thu 28 Oct | 7.30pm | Mainhouse
CLOSING EVENT
IORRAM (BOAT SONG)
Alastair Cole | UK 2021 | 97 mins
The first cinema documentary entirely in Scottish Gaelic, IORRAM (Boat Song) is a lyrical portrait of life in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, past and present. Director Alastair Cole takes a cinematic journey into the past and present of the islands, mixing voices, stories and songs from the mid-20th century with images of life today on land and sea, and original music by Aidan O’Rourke (Lau).
Q&A: There will be a post-screening Q&A with director, Alastair Cole Mon 1 Nov | 7.30pm | Mainhouse
At the core of the film is an extraordinary trove of sound archives, recorded by pioneering Scottish ethnographers in the mid-20th century, who visited the Outer Hebrides to capture the hardship and romance of life lived in precarious balance with the sea. These newly restored recordings preserve an oral history of lore and legends, tall tales and tragedies, passed down through generations of Gaelic speakers reaching back hundreds of years.
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BORDERLANDS
Samarth Mahajan | India 2021 | 67 mins
BORDERLANDS brings together six characters whose lives are defined by personal and political borders in the Indian subcontinent. Through conversations and observations, the characters reveal their efforts to find meaning in a world beyond their control. Divided families meet, love blossoms across borders, traffickers get caught – in this slice of life documentary. Eligible for an audience award.
Fri 29 Oct | 5pm | Mainhouse
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INCENDIOS
Martin Trabalík, Geraldine Zambrana Velez | Bolivia 2021 | 56 mins
Chaqueo is the Bolivian practice of burning down the forest to gain cultivable land. In 2019 this practice was made legal recognising fire as a legal tool for the cultivation of the land. What followed were the worst fires that the country ever experienced. The film introduces the problem of the Chaqueo and shows the effort of voluntary firemen groups that are trying to save the most vulnerable places such as human settlements and natural reservations. It starts during the night fire and culminates in the last big fire and relief that the rain comes that finally extinguishes the catastrophe. Eligible for an audience award.
Fri 29 Oct | 5.30pm | Filmhouse ane pe er r o mi EuPre
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STIRLING KALEIDOSCOPE Award-winning independent curator Shona Thomson brings back her sell-out archive film programme commissioned for the very first Central Scotland Documentary Festival in 2017. In honour of this year’s 50th anniversary of the Macrobert opening in 1971, Shona has dug a little deeper in the archives for an updated look at how times have changed but also may not have changed at all… After the screening, Shona will be joined by special guests for a blether about the archives, the films, and what they might say about where we are now.
Fri 29 Oct | 7.30pm | Mainhouse
DISPLACED
SHARON RYBA-KAHN | GERMANY 2020 | 90 MINS
Sharon is Jewish and third generation of survivors. When her estranged father Moritz contacts her again after 7 years, it becomes an impetus for her to reconstruct her father’s family history. A journey begins in which Sharon tries to understand who her father is and who his parents were. Eligible for an audience award.
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Fri 29 Oct | 8pm | Filmhouse
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PIANO TO ZANSKAR
Michal Sulima & Jarek Kotomski | UK 2021 | 86 mins
The multi award-winning PIANO TO ZANSKAR follows 65-year-old London piano maker Desmond O’Keeffe as he endeavours to deliver a piano from his piano repair shop in London’s Camden Town to the village school in Lingshed, a remote community high up in the Indian Himalayas. Sat 30 Oct | 12.45pm | Mainhouse
OVERLAND
Elisabeth Haviland James and Revere La Noue | USA 2020 | 105 mins
OVERLAND unfolds in a world increasingly driven by technology and routine, where we are losing touch with nature and our primal spirit is fading. Immersed in remote deserts, mountains, and grasslands, three extraordinary people from contrasting cultures practice the ancient art of falconry to wake their inner wild. The stories in OVERLAND offer a stunning cinematic journey across four continents. Eligible for an audience award.
Sat 30 Oct | 1.15pm | Filmouse
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RICO: THE RICHARD DEMARCO STORY
Dr Marco J Federici | UK 2021 | 85 mins
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Over six decades, Richard Demarco CBE, the Scottish artist and iconic promoter has brought 1000s of artists to the Edinburgh Festival and launched the careers of some of the most famous names in contemporary art. Yet today, Demarco struggles to make ends meet and is out of favour with the modern art world. The film discusses how art has been commodified in society by dominant forces. How can society remedy the absence of art in the lives of those who feel excluded? Demarco wants to put this right before his final breath! Eligible for an audience award. Q&A: There will be a post-screening Q&A with Richard Demarco
Sat 30 Oct | 3pm | Mainhouse
THE FIRST YEAR
Ian McDonald | UK 2021 | 90 mins
THE FIRST YEAR tells the inside story of Jamie Driscoll’s first 12 months as the new North of Tyne Mayor. Jamie is not a typical politician. This ex-martial arts instructor, doting father of two, and grassroots socialist activist had never held political office before being elected as the first ever Mayor of a vast region. This observational documentary provides a wryly humorous take on a year dominated by Brexit, Donald Trump's visit to the UK, the rise of the youth climate change movement, the suspension of parliament, a General Election, and Covid-19. Eligible for an audience award.
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Q&A: There will be a post-screening Zoom Q&A with Jamie Driscoll
Sat 30 Oct | 4.15pm | Filmhouse centscotdocufest.org | 9
IN THE RED (The Director’s Cut) Patrick Rooney | UK 2020 | 90 mins
Sat 30 Oct | 5.45pm | Mainhouse
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IN THE RED is an exciting, fast-paced, and action-packed feature-length documentary film about Speedway motorcycle racing in the UK, taken from the perspective of the Glasgow Tigers club during their 2019 season. The film follows the Tigers' highs and lows as they travel across the UK, competing against other Speedway teams for the title in their Championship League. It also documents the current condition of Speedway; a sport that faces an uncertain future and is being forgotten as many clubs continue to shut down across the country. The film also highlights some of the amazing personal stories of Glasgow Tigers fans and volunteers, who never fail to bring an emotional touch to the film. Eligible for an audience award.
OPERATION CAMANDUCAIA Tiago Rezende | Brazil 2020 | 75 mins
1974 - During the Brazilian dictatorship, more than 90 boys were arbitrarily arrested by São Paulo police and transported to another Brazilian state. By the morning, just 41 of those children and teenagers show up in the city of Camanducaia. They were naked, starving, and injured. Forgetting is not an option. Eligible for an audience award.
Sat 30 Oct | 7.30pm | Filmhouse
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THE BIG BIKE FILM NIGHT Various | Various 2020 | 120 mins
A feast of short films devoted to the bicycle and all who ride. The dynamic concept showcases the colourful array of cycling genres with films from the unforgiving shores of the Faroe Islands to the urban neighbourhoods of Auckland, to an epic bike rafting expedition. Part documentary/part fantasy with mountain bike illustrations that will have you looking for your rig and heading down the trail in search of the same kind of magic. Regardless of whether you are a cycling fan or a cinematography fan, this is something that everyone should see.
Sat 30 Oct | 8pm | Mainhouse
GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER(S) David Wilkinson | UK 2021 | 175 mins
During the Holocaust, almost 1 million people in 22 countries carried out the unprovoked murder of 11 million innocent men, women and children. 99% of those responsible were never prosecuted; most were never even questioned. The Allies knew what their crime was, and where these people could be found. However, after the late 1940s, almost nothing was done. Why were so many people actively permitted to get away with their crime(s)? Wilkinson’s journey takes him all over the UK, Ireland, USA, Lithuania, Latvia and the Czech Republic, to Auschwitz - Birkenau in Poland, Austria, France and, of course, Germany
Q&A: There will be a post-screening Q&A with the director, David Wilkinson.
Sun 31 Oct | 12noon | Filmhouse centscotdocufest.org | 11
LAUNCH!: ON THE SEA WITH SCOTLAND’S LIFEBOATS Shona Thomson | SCOTLAND 2021 | 175 mins
LAUNCH! ON THE SEA WITH SCOTLAND’S LIFEBOATS dives into archive film and video of RNLI crews, with an immersive soundtrack from some of the UK’s most exciting contemporary musicians. Directed by award-winning curator, Shona Thomson, and two years in the making, the film is created entirely from rarely seen footage celebrating the dedication of Scotland’s volunteer lifeboat crews and the communities that support them.
Sun 31 Oct | 12.30pm | Mainhouse
EMERGENCE: OUT OF THE SHADOWS Vinay Giridhar | Canada 2021 | 80 mins
For Kayden, Jag, and Amar, awakening to and expressing their sexuality within conservative South Asian families was a lonely and terrifying experience. Denial, shame, and despair haunted their youths, even threatening their lives. Yet, they’ve emerged. This film shows their disparate journeys and converge around a shared sense of compassion and healing as they bravely convey their often heart-wrenching stories. Confronted with tradition and taboo, Jag’s parents and Amar’s mother choose to love and support for their children, offering courage and inspiration to those struggling with acceptance. Eligible for an audience award.
Sun 31 Oct | 2.45pm | Mainhouse ane pe er r o mi EuPre
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THE AULD GAME UK 2021 | 60 mins
Scotland’s love of football is complicated. It unites us and divides us. It builds our hopes up and it breaks our hearts. It is an endless love that defies rhyme or reason. This love of football is about so much more than winning a match, it’s about being bold enough to try in the first place. It’s about being the underdog. It’s about always coming back for another shot. It’s about so much more than a ball and a goal. You see, Scottish football isn’t just a game, it’s a way of life. This archive film takes audiences on a whirlwind tour of our football history.
Sun 31 Oct | 4.45pm | Filmhouse
WHO IS JAMES PAYTON? Oliver Guy-Watkins | Netherlands 2020 | 78 mins
After filming concluded on the set of The Wolfman in 2010, Hopkins walked up to his stand-in and handed him an envelope of cash, offering thanks and words of encouragement. The person who had guided Hopkins through his movements in front of the camera was James Payton. A documentary following the actor James Payton through a year of his life. Recognised for playing Frank Longbottom in Harry Potter and Hitler in Captain America, this is a film that deals with the notions of fame, success, and loneliness. Eligible for an audience award.
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Q&A: There will be a post-screening Q&A with director, Oliver Guy-Watkins.
Sun 31 Oct | 5.15pm | Mainhouse
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THE FIRST STEP
Brandon and Lance Kramer | USA 2021 | 89 mins
In a divided America, Van Jones controversially works across party lines on landmark criminal justice reform and a more humane response to the addiction crisis. Attempting to be a bridge-builder in a time of extreme polarisation takes him deep into the inner workings of a divisive administration, internal debates within both parties, and the lives of frontline activists fighting for their communities. Eligible for an audience award.
Sun 31 Oct | 7.30pm | Filmhouse
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ALIEN ON STAGE
Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey | UK 2021 | 86 mins
Why do pantomime when you can do Alien? A very amateur dramatics group led by Dorset Bus Drivers spent a year creating a serious stage adaptation of the sci-fi, horror film, Alien. Their village-hall show is a crushing flop; it seems their hard work was for nothing but fate gives them a second chance to perform their homemade homage in a West End theatre, for one night only. With wobbly sets, awkward acting, and special effects requiring 'more luck than judgement’, will it be alright on the night? Eligible for an audience award.
Sun 31 Oct | 8pm | Mainhouse
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EVENT CALENDAR
Thu 28 Oct 7.30PM QUANT
Mainhouse
3PM RICO: THE RICHARD DEMARCO STORY Mainhouse
4:15PM THE FIRST YEAR
1.30PM STIRLING KALEIDOSCOPE (RELAXED) Filmhouse
5PM BORDERLANDS Mainhouse
5.30PM INCENDIOS Filmhouse
7.30PM STIRLING KALEIDOSCOPE Mainhouse
8PM DISPLACED Filmhouse
Sat 30 Oct
5.45PM IN THE RED 7.30PM OPERATION CAMANDUCAIA Filmhouse
8PM THE BIG BIKE FILM NIGHT Mainhouse
Sun 31 Oct 12PM GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER(S) Filmhouse
12.30PM LAUNCH!: ON THE SEA WITH SCOTLAND’S LIFEBOATS Mainhouse
2.45PM EMERGENCE: OUT OF THE SHADOWS Mainhouse
4:45PM THE AULD GAME
12.45PM Filmhouse PIANO TO ZANSKAR Mainhouse
1.15PM OVERLAND Filmhouse
Filmhouse
8PM ALIEN ON STAGE Mainhouse
Filmhouse
Mainhouse
Fri 29 Oct
7.30PM THE FIRST STEP
5.15PM WHO IS JAMES PAYTON? Mainhouse
Mon 1 Nov 7.30PM IORRAM (BOAT SONG) Mainhouse