Project Detail

Bill Douglas My Best Friend

Synopsis

The story of the extraordinary friendship between Scottish film maker Bill Douglas and his lifelong companion and collaborator Peter Jewell.
Bill Douglas was Scotland’s finest director, celebrated by the likes of Lynne Ramsay, Lenny Abrahamson, Satajit Ray and Yuliya Solntseva. In his short career he made four films: an autobiographical trilogy about his appalling childhood – MY CHILDHOOD, MY AIN FOLK, THE WAY HOME - and COMRADES, an epic about a momentous moment in English history. Every shot in these films is an art work and every sequence a poem. Bills life was turned around in the Egyptian desert when he met the man who would become his lifelong friend, Peter Jewell. The two men had very different backgrounds but they formed a unique bond that channelled a tremendous creative energy. In this film Peter reminisces about the life he shared with Bill in their tiny Soho flat filled with cinema memorabilia. Their shared love of the movies led them to start experimenting with an 8mm camera. Peter’s memories and musings about the legacy Bill left behind are illustrated with these never-before-seen short films.
Official Selection Venice International Film Festival 2023 - Venice Classics - World premiere

Details

Year
2023
Type of film
Features
Running time
78 min
Format
2k
Director
Jack Archer 1st Feature
Producer
John Archer
Executive Producer
Clara Glynn, Mark Thomas
Editor
James Alcock; Edit Assistant: Noora Lappalainen; Online Editor: Chas Chalmers
Director of Photography
Jack Archer; Additional Camera: Dan McKay, Jordan Sellers
Sound
Rob MacNeacail
Composer
Scott Twynholm
Principal cast
With contributions from: Peter Jewell, Brian Cox, Lynne Ramsay, Lenny Abrahamson, Dr. Phil Wickham
Associate Producer
Andy Kimpton-Nye

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Hopscotch Films

John Archer
Film City Glasgow
401 Govan Road
Glasgow
G51 2QJ

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