Battle Mountain is the story of Graeme Obree’s epic journey. Can a man who broke world records and won world championships 20 years ago still cut it as his fiftieth birthday approaches?
Graeme Obree and his legendary bike “Old Faithful” inspired Sir Chris Hoy – who calls him a genius, as well as Sir Bradley Wiggins and millions of cyclists across the world. 20 years on he has built a bike, and the aerodynamic shell, in his attempt to break the International Human Powered Vehicle Association land speed record.
“BATTLE MOUNTAIN” is an immersive observational documentary showing how Graeme built “The Beastie” (as named by Sir Chris Hoy). Following Graeme as he trains in the Ayrshire rain and the sunshine of Tenerife, and watches as his cardio workouts take him to the point of collapse.
'Battle Mountain' isn’t just about a sport and engineering genius. It is also about the fragility of the human mind and the mental strength required to make you a world record holder. Graeme openly talks about the difficulties he has encountered and survived through his life. He doesn’t shy away from his demons, everything is confronted head on.
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015 - World premiere
In the late 1970s, from a tenement flat in Edinburgh, Bob Last and Hilary Morrison operated their record label Fast Product. A predecessor to Rough Trade and Factory Records, Fast Product quickly became the hub for a group of ground-breakingly talented musicians.
The previously untold story of a post-punk/indie music scene that reverberated from Edinburgh, throughout the UK and beyond.
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015 - World premiere
Robert, an ex-shipyard welder from Govan, Scotland, reflects on how his life experiences have influenced his new found compulsion to write.
His retrospective poetry reveals a man who is trying to achieve a state of contentment through words and philosophy. He has replaced his tools for pens and paper.
Somewhere in Florida a mysterious chemical reacts with the chlorine of a hotel swimming pool. Upon discovery, a young guest begins recruiting followers for her strange cult.
Following the death of his grandfather, poet Ross Sutherland discovered an old videotape in his loft. On the tape were all the things they'd watched together: one-and-a-half films, a quiz show segment, and two sitcoms. Somehow they became the story of his life.
Inspired by the 1980s stoner mainstay of matching up 'The Wizard of Oz' with Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon, Ross draws out a series of stories from his life, synchronising them with the images on the tape. In the process, fragments of old films and TV shows are looped, destroyed, and re-built into an audiovisual meditation on memory, death and re-runs.
Hot Docs International Film Festival 2015 - World Premiere
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015 - UK Premiere
A compelling portrait of loyalty, broken dreams and redemption told by its director, reluctantly-dutiful daughter Karen, who takes you under the skin of the deceptively humdrum household she returns to for this long goodbye.
Karen’s mother Ann suffers a devastating stroke that brings her daughter back home. But Karen isn’t the only one who comes back to help care for Ann in the crisis: Her prodigal father - the endearing yet unfathomable Ian, who’s been separated from Ann for years - also reappears.
Reunited so unexpectedly, and armed with her camera, Karen seizes this last chance to go under the skin of the family story before it’s too late, to come to terms with the aftermath of the secret her father had tried - and failed - to keep from them all: a relationship and a son, Campbell, born in Ethiopia and now in Scotland.
With candour, warmth and much unexpected humour, Karen’s role as family confidante, busybody, therapist and spy brings to life both an extraordinary story and a profound portrait of family survival.
Hot Docs 2015 - World premiere
An inspirational story of a Scotsman attempting to leave an alcoholic and violent past behind, daring to follow his dreams. Filmmaker Stephen Mulhearn takes us on a personal journey of discovery following his dramatic near death experience. A gritty, true-life story about a quest to find understanding to human suffering.
Michael is taken out for his last day of freedom by his Uncle Duncan. Despite the fun line-up that Duncan has planned for him, Michael cannot forget where he's finally going that day. He soon realises what's at stake and that his Uncle is leading him down a one-way path.
The Lawes of the Marches documents the ancient border tradition of the Common Ridings all along the border of England and Scotland. These ridings are about marking and commemorating the past with as much relevance today as when they began in 1500.
An enigmatic outsider living on a remote Scottish island finds herself caught between her minister husband and the delinquent who is sent to live with them.
London Film Festival 2014 - World premiere
