THE National’s screening of To See Ourselves in Glasgow next week will mark a full circle since our premiere at the Glasgow Film Theatre in September 2023.
Since then this documentary about the emotions behind the politics during 2014 has been seen in more than 40 towns in almost every region of the country, from the Borders to the Outer Hebrides.
The most common reaction to the film has been surprise at how enjoyable it is. Many people come to watch with trepidation; not sure they want to relive the events of 2014 because there are so many complex emotions attached – grief, anxiety, frustration ...
But the documentary reminds us of the positive emotions from that time; the hope, joy, fun, confidence and camaraderie that so many felt. People were connected to their communities and their future in a way that now feels rare but will be found again.
Come to see the screening and join the Q&A as we mark 10 years since the indyref
Next week also marks 10 years since I put my camera down and had my baby. I was exhausted, a bit heartbroken and not sure what I had just recorded. It took a long time to work that out.
The story of the making and release of To See Ourselves is a long, complex and frustrating one. However, for every funding refusal, film festival rejection and "unavailable" venue for hire ... there have been crowdfund backers, rough-cut watchers and cinema gatekeepers who saw the value in giving this story space.
And so a record of 2014 exists. It is just one perspective, limited in it’s scope and peculiar in its character. But this observational, raw footage from the streets and in our home during that intense summer reflects a Scottish culture that is unique and surprisingly familiar to anyone who lives here; something that isn’t often represented on film.
We are looking forward to our final run of Q&A screenings – in Lochgilphead, Jura, Islay Glasgow, Dunoon and London – before To See Ourselves will be available to watch on our website on September 18.
Tickets for our upcoming events can be found on our website.
Thank you to The National for backing this film from the very beginning and being with us all the way till the end.
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