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In this trilogy of films, Douglas pays tribute to his own childhood and adolescence in a Scottish mining village. Using few words, which only serves to heighten the haunting quality of the scenes, Douglas sketches out his memories of growing up in poverty and the cruelty suffered by an unloved and neglected child: a life from hand to mouth, the loss of loved ones and pets, the feeling of being palmed off on ever more distant relations and outbursts of despair and violence. Filmed on a small budget in his hometown with non-professional actors, the film’s form nonetheless transcends more classic works of social realism, the black and white images and long takes evoking a highly individual, almost expressionist quality.
Bill Douglas, born in Scotland in 1934, worked initially as a miner. At the age of 25, he moved to London, working as a theatre and television actor before going on to study at London Film School. Following his trilogy, all parts of which were shown at the Forum, he only directed one further film. Bill Douglas died from cancer in 1991 at the age of 57.
Format: 16mm, 35mm, b/w
Running Time: 48, 55, 72 min.
Language: English
