Bill Douglas: My Best Friend (2023) + My Childhood (1972)

Following its premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, we are excited to bring Bill Douglas: My Best Friend to Edinburgh for a special one-off screening. The film is the story of the extraordinary friendship between Scotland’s greatest film-maker and his lifelong companion and collaborator Peter Jewell. In this film Peter reminisces about the life he shared with Bill, their meeting in the Egyptian desert and their lifelong passion for the movies which lead them to start experimenting with an 8mm camera. His memories and musings about Bill’s legacy are illustrated with these never-before-seen short films.

Following the documentary, we will watch Douglas' medium length film My Childhood, the first part of the trilogy of films made by Douglas on his own childhood in the mining village of Newcraighall. This is a fantastic chance to see this little seen film which is considered a masterpiece by many critics.

Following the screening, we will be joined by Jack Archer, the director of Bill Douglas: My Best Friend, for a Q and A.

Notes

Bill Douglas: My Best Friend runtime 77min. My Childhood runtime 47 minutes. Followed by a Q and A with Jack Archer, director of Bill Douglas: My Best Friend. Event ends by 21.45.

Light refreshments will be available for sale

Grassmarket Community Project is a wheelchair-accessible venue.

Host or Publisher Grassmarket Picture House (Community Cinema)