Finding Norman

Staying on the subject of Norman McLaren. I just remembered about a Student Radio Broadcast project which my colleagues and friends Karl Magee and Sarah Neely had been part of whilst I was at Stirling, called 'Finding Norman'.  You can listen to the broadcast on the Stirling Film, Media and Journalism YouTube page. The narrator, a student at Stirling Uni is talking about 'Norman' a show I was lucky enough to see at the MacRobert Arts Centre in Stirling - I wrote a wee preview of the show here. 



Karl Magee gives some background about Norman McLaren and does a bit of promotion for the archive!  There is an excerpt of Norman McLaren talking in the radio broadcast and he says that 'if all his films had to be destroyed except one I would choose Neighbours'.  Of course, I wouldn't want any of his films to be destroyed but I think it's interesting he chose Neighbours.  It's a superb film and the anti-war message is put across so brilliantly - maybe they should show this film to world leaders who are all too eager to start fights and wars with each other!

Running Time: Artist Films in Scotland 1960 to now

I'm very excited about a new exhibition running at the Dean Gallery in Edinburgh from 17 October - 22nd November of this year. This is the first time the National Galleries have devoted an exhibition exclusively to film, and according to their website, the first ever exhibition in Scotland devoted exclusively to artist films in Scotland. It's a huge retrospective, and as well as the extensive range of films being shown there are a number of special events and screenings to coincide with it.

I don't think I could pick particular films I'm looking forward to see as there's so many, including work by Margaret Tait, David Hall, Henry Coombes, Beagles and Ramsay, Matt Hulse, Luke Fowler, Katy Dove, Rosalind Nashashibi and David Shrigley. Here's a link to the full programme as I find the National Galleries website to be very badly designed, difficult to navigate and not always very clear on which gallery events take place in.

Particular special events that caught my attention are:
The Bedfords (2009) by Henry Coombes (recently on exhibit at the Sorcha Dallas gallery in Glasgow, 4 September - 9 October). The film tells the story of Sir Edwin Landseer and his relationship with the Duchess of Bedford. The screening will be followed by an 'in conversation' between Henry Coombes and Francis McKee, Director of the CCA, Glasgow. This event is free and is on Wednesday 21 October at the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre - Weston Link (national Gallery Complex) from 6.30 - 7.30pm

Boyle Family Films - Sebastian Boyle. Mark Boyle and Joan Hills of Boyle Family were pioneers of British projections with events such as Son et Lumière for Insects, Reptiles and Water Creatures and Bodily Fluids and Functions and their liquid light shows of the 1960s. Sebastian Boyle of Boyle Family, will talk about these films, putting them into the wider context of their work. A selection of these films will be on show at the Dean Gallery as part of Running Time. This event is free and is on Tuesday, 27th October 2009 at the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre - Weston Link (national Gallery Complex) fro 12.45 - 1.45pm

Pilgrimage from Scattered Points by Luke Fowler. Screening of Luke Fowler's fresh take on documentary realism, Pilgrimage from Scattered Points, followed by an 'in conversation' with the artist. This event is free and is on Tuesday, 3rd November 2009 at the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre - Weston Link (national Gallery Complex) from 6.30 - 7.45pm

Margaret Tait: Poet, Filmmaker, Beachcomber Artist. Dr Sarah Neely, Lecturer in Film, Media and Journalism at the University of Stirling, explores the work and practice of Margaret Tait, a filmmaker whose approach is largely characterised by an intimate relationship with the immediate surroundings. A truly independent filmmaker, Tait established her own film company and self-financed most of her productions. As with much of Tait's creative work, whether using found footage from a skip or found objects from the beach, Tait's resourcefulness forms a striking feature. This event is free and is on Tuesday, 17th November 2009 at the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre - Weston Link (national Gallery Complex) from 12.45 - 1.30pm