Treasures from the Far Fur Country In 1919, an ambitious film crew set off on a coast-to-coast journey in order to chronicle Canada’s vast wildness. For over six months they filmed a country populated by Aboriginal and Inuit trappers, Scottish fur traders and the families that lived in the shadow of one of the oldest corporations on Earth: the Hudson’s Bay Company. Forgotten for decades, this footage from the finished film, The Romance of the Far Fur Country, reveals a long-gone era of exploration, exploitation and the harsh climate of Canada’s most remote regions.
Great Scots CCA Saturday 23 February (15.00) Director Harold Wyckoff Canada 1920, 30m (whole event 1h15m approx), N/C 8+ Thanks to Five Door Films
In this special event the film will be introduced by writer and documentary maker Chris Nikkel and the footage will be accompanied by live fiddle and song that evokes the strong Orcadian links to the Hudson Bay outpost.
Venus Peter The aim of Year of Natural Scotland 2013 is to promote Scotland’s stunning natural beauty and biodiversity. What better way to celebrate this than with a rare screening of Ian Sellar’s impressive debut feature set amidst the haunting seascapes of Orkney? Christopher Rush’s autobiographical book A Twelvemonth and a Day is the inspiration for the story of a young boy growing up in Orkney in the 1940s. Christened with sea water, he is part of a fiercely insular community but learns to appreciate the magic and mystery around him through the eyes of his wise grandfather and the encouragement of his teacher.
Great Scots GFT Wed 20 February (17.30) Director Ian Sellar Cast Ray McAnally, David Hayman, Gordon R Strachan UK 1989, 1h33m, 12 Thanks to Christopher Young and BFI
We hope to be joined by producer Christopher Young, director Ian Sellar and members of the cast for this screening of a brand new print.
Village at the End of the World Niaqornat is a remote village in Northern Greenland where the population is just fiftynine and the dogs outnumber the humans. Over the course of a year, Sarah Gavron and cinematographer David (Downton Abbey) Kaztnelson followed four of the townsfolk: Lars, the only teenager; huntsman Karl who has never acknowledged that Lars is his son; outsider Ilanngauq who moved there to be with the woman he loves; and Annie the community elder who still recalls when seal blubber was the fuel they used in their lights. The portrait of individual lives also reveals the bigger issues of a community’s fragile existence in an uncertain modern world.
Vinyl The punk spirit lives on in Vinyl, a breezy lark of a comedy from writer/director Sara Sugarman. Based on the true story of Mike Peters’ rock and roll hoax in 2004 it stars Phil Daniels as Johnny Jones, a member of the once revered Weapons of Happiness, now living in the miserable afterglow of his fame. A reunion with his former band members leads to a new pop punk single that has the potential to put them back on top. However, as they find themselves working within an increasingly superficial music industry, it’s not long before the band discover that nobody wants to sign some decrepit old punks. Johnny decides to fake it, manufacturing a hot young Welsh band as the Trojan horse in his cunning comeback plans.
Vito Vito Russo was an inspirational gay activist who wrote the definitive book on gay representation in the movies. Vito offers a warm tribute to a life that encapsulated the struggles for gay rights and the fight against AIDS in the 1970s and 1980s. Mixing stunning archive footage (New York in the 1960s, Bette Midler at Gay Pride in 1973 etc) with fond memories from Vito’s family and friends, the film builds a powerful portrait of a man who fearlessly stood up for what he knew to be right. His book The Celluloid Closet shone a light on the hidden history of Hollywood and there are choice clips from Caged, Advise & Consent and countless others. A stirring and emotional tribute.
Wadjda One of the most inspirational films of the past year, the award-winning Wadjda is the first Saudi Arabian feature shot entirely within the kingdom and directed by a woman. There is much more than novelty value to this handsomely crafted charmer that reveals life in the kingdom through the story of ten-year-old Wadjda and her determination to own a bike. She wants to race through the streets of Riyadh alongside her best friend Abdullah but girls are not allowed to ride bikes in Saudi Arabia in the same way that women are not allowed to drive cars. Blithely ignoring the restraints placed on her, Wadjda enters a Koran competition where the prize money would allow her to buy the bike of her dreams.
buy tickets online at www.glasgowfilm.org/FESTIVAL
Stranger than Fiction Cineworld Tuesday 19 February (18.45) Wed 20 February (16.30) Director Sarah Gavron Denmark/UK/Greenland 2012, 1h18m, N/C 12+ Thanks to Dogwoof
Best of British GFT Thursday 21 February (20.30) Cineworld Friday 22 February (16.00) Director Sara Sugarman Cast Phil Daniels, Keith Allen, Jamie Blackley UK 2012, 1h25m, N/C 15+ Thanks to Altive Media and DDA
Stranger than Fiction Cineworld Saturday 23 February (14.45) Sunday 24 February (19.45) Director Jeffrey Schwarz Cast Vito Russo, Armistead Maupin, Larry Kramer USA 2011, 1h33m, N/C 15+ Thanks to Peccadillo Pictures
It’s a Wonderful World Cineworld Sunday 17 February (21.15) Monday 18 February (15.30) Director Haifaa Al-Mansour Cast Reem Abdullah, Waad Mohammed Saudi Arabia/Germany 2012, 1h38m, Arabic with subtitles, N/C 12+ Thanks to Soda Pictures
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