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
http://www.hopscotchfilms.co.uk/billdouglas

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

Music

Scott Twynholm

Principal Cast

With contributions from: Peter Jewell, Brian Cox, Lynne Ramsay, Lenny Abrahamson, Dr. Phil Wickham

Associate Producer

Andy Kimpton-Nye

Genre

• Documentary

Production status

Complete

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Last updated 6th September 2023