Author: Douglas McFarlane

Some documentaries inform. Others stay with you long after the credits roll. Time and Water, the latest film from BAFTA-nominated director Sara Dosa, falls firmly into the second category. Blending breathtaking imagery with deeply personal storytelling, it explores one of the defining issues of our time through the lens of family, memory and the fragile […]

There are performances that entertain, and there are performances that stay with you long after the curtain falls or the credits roll. Anne Hathaway’s rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” in Les Misérables belongs firmly in the second category. With Universal Pictures recently releasing Fantine’s full performance online, audiences have another opportunity to experience one of the defining moments […]

There are actors who become stars, and there are actors who simply become part of cinema. Ewan McGregor belongs firmly in the latter category. Over the past three decades, the Scottish actor has built one of the most diverse careers in modern film, moving effortlessly between independent cinema and Hollywood blockbusters. From Trainspotting and Moulin Rouge! to Big Fish, Doctor Sleep and […]

Cinema is often spoken about in terms of stars, premieres and box office success, yet the true soul of a film comes from the people whose work is rarely spotlighted. Every frame is the result of hundreds of individuals applying their craft with precision and passion. Disney’s new interpretation of Moana is a reminder of […]

There are films we remember for the performances. Others for the cinematography or the script. But every so often, it’s the music that stays with us long after the credits have rolled. A few notes are enough to transport us back to a moment, a landscape or an emotion that words alone could never capture. […]

Every so often I receive a message that reminds me why independent filmmaking still matters. This week it came from writer, director and producer David Skynner. Rather than spending years waiting for permission, funding or the “right moment”, he’s simply gone out and made his feature film. There’s something refreshing about that. His film, Born in […]

Going to the movies used to be something everyone could do. When I was just four years old, my parents took me to the ABC Minors. It was a weekly Saturday morning programme for children, and for me it opened a door that never really closed. There were cartoons like Tom and Jerry. Films such […]