College News

Paul Welsh (1986) could be onto a winner, literally, as his new feature film “Winners”, has been selected by BAFTA as the UK entry to next year’s 95th Oscars, for Best International Film.

Whilst Paul is credited as Producer (Edge City Films) along with Scots-Uzbek Nadira Murray (Sylph Productions), the Writer/Director is Hassan Nazer from Aberdeen, who arrived in Scotland 20 years ago as a refugee. The film draws imaginatively on his childhood in Iran as well as celebrating the cinema of that nation.

Shot entirely on location in Iran, this Farsi dialogue film was financed, developed and post-produced in Scotland. Having debuted at the Edinburgh Film Festival in August 2022, it scooped up the Audience Award. It has also just been longlisted for BIFA’s Discovery Award 2022 (British Independent Film Awards). Closer to home, Paul also directed a documentary about St Aloysius’ College called “The Intelligent Heart” (1998) which is still available for public viewing on Vimeo if you search for it. Maybe you’ll see your younger self there!

The BIFA awards take place December 2022. And the Oscar ceremony takes place on Sunday 12th March 2023. Best of luck to Paul, Nadira and Hassan.

STAFF RETIRALS

Since the last issue of AMDG magazine, a number of well-known staff have retired and we want to wish them belated congratulations and a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Perhaps you were taught by some of them?

• Mr Tom Daniels (1981) retired as Head of Music in

August 2020, having started in 1993.

• Mrs Maureen Kane retired as Classroom Assistant in the Junior School in December 2020, after 26 years.

• Mr Jim Kyle, retired as a Head of Italian in

August 2022, having spent 33 years as a Modern Languages Teacher, teaching French and Italian.

• Mr Michael McLaughlin retired as a Religious

Education Teacher in December 2020 having started at St Aloysius’ College in 2001.

• Mrs Lizzie Sturrock who started at St Aloysius’

College in 2004, took early retirement as a PE

Teacher in August 2022. She is currently visiting

South Africa and Japan attending hockey World

Cups while taking an extended and well-earned vacation!

• Last but not least, our longest-serving retiree this year was Mr Jim Wilson who retired as Lab

Technician from the Physics Department, having started in 1979!

Lorna Gold and Laudato Si’

Our very own OA Hall of Fame Inductee and Chair of the Laudato Si’ Movement Board, Dr Lorna Gold, appears in this new climate change documentary film, “The Letter”, focusing on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’.

The film brings together the science and faith communities, and gives a voice to people from around the world who have been affected by climate change. You can find “The Letter: Laudato Si Film” on YouTube.