Waiting for the buff to rub me out - a film by Lyken & James

A film by Mark Lyken & Allana

A fictionalised portrait that captures the rituals and obstacles that Shadow, a Scottish trans femme graffiti writer, experiences in the making of her Wildstyle graffiti.

“In Waiting for the Buff to Rub Me Out, Allana James and Mark Lyken explore the obstacles of maintaining platforms for expression in an age of sterile surveillance. Through the fictionalised portrait of Shadow, a Scottish trans femme graffiti writer, issues of erasure are made literal through a deceptively playful cat-and-mouse between the protagonist and an official in Hi-Viz.”

Rachael Disbury

The film is a Now & Next Commission For BBC Arts, LUX Scotland, Screen Scotland.

The film is a Now & Next Commission For BBC Arts, LUX Scotland, Screen Scotland.

Mark Lyken is a film & sound artist based in rural Dumfriesshire, Scotland.

Mark has developed a personal and distinct approach to filmmaking. Embedding himself within communities, he builds relationships with individuals and works collaboratively to cultivate scenes that empower those on-screen on their own terms.

Inspired by hybrid and experimental approaches, Mark’s work forefronts portraiture, place, rhythms and routines. Curiosity and responsiveness propel him to delve into the ‘underseen and underheard aspects of everyday life’ (Rachael Disbury, 2022). Utilising long-take cinematography, Mark’s films

create a communal space between audience members and subjects - a space where narrative can unfold spontaneously and organically, a space for imagination to wander, that holds the potential for magic.

Mark’s films don’t always slot easily into defined genres. His work and style remain on the periphery - a place he is familiar with and arguably gravitates towards, yet also a place of precarity. He cares deeply about cultivating opportunities & elevating others through his creative practice, grounded in values of care, collaboration and reciprocity.