Delving into the world of cinema, the film captures the essence of transforming reality into poetry. In a rich diary-like assembly of time and place, along with Tait's footage, previously unseen archival material, sound recordings, film rushes, and notebooks, Fowler highlights the creativity and originality of the forgotten Scottish filmmaker. Exploring her life and work within the context of Orkney’s landscape, BEING IN A PLACE portrays the islands, the people and the mosaics of details that resemble this place. This fragmented creation of a film also shows the significance of embracing failure and chance, honouring Tait’s approach and her intricate eye for detail. BEING IN A PLACE – A PORTRAIT OF MARGARET TAIT is an impressive creative artwork in itself that finally gives Tait her rightful place in the history of cinema.
Being in a Place – A Portrait of Margaret Tait + Ex Nihilo
Luke Fowler (b. 1978) is an artist, filmmaker and musician based in Glasgow. His films have been described as “para-documentary” and often interweave archival footage with his own camerawork and sounds. Fowler’s film portraits often hinge on controversial figures or movements which have often been marginalised, erased or misrepresented by contemporary culture. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee. Fowler was awarded the inaugural Derek Jarman Award in 2008 and was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 2012 for his first feature film ALL DIVIDED SELVES. Fowler’s short film MUM’S CARDS was awarded the 2019 Scottish Short Film Award at the Glasgow Short Film Festival as well as the prize for Best Short at the Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival of Navarre, Spain.
Lee Patterson uses sound making and recording to devise performances with a selection of amplified objects, devices and processes, from rock chalk to springs, from burning nuts to vibrating metal.
Sarah Neely is a writer, producer and researcher, working primarily in the areas of artists' moving image and film archives. She is a Professor in Film and Visual Culture at the University of Glasgow.
Louise Barrington graduated from both the Slade School of Fine Art within the sculpture department, and Central Saint Martins where she practised Textile Design, lending her work a unique combination of skill sets.