Scottish teen’s harsh coming of age portrayed in next Doc Series title
On Thursday, November 7th, at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, the Bozeman Doc Series continues its sixth season with the Montana premiere of the award-winning new documentary, Scheme Birds. The film screens at 7pm.
Scrappy Scottish teenager Gemma has never backed down from a fight. That’s the way of life in the small-town, low-income housing scheme where she grew up, southeast of Glasgow. A place where you “either get knocked up or locked up,” there’s been nothing to do there since the local steelworks closed in the 1980s. Everyone finds a distraction: Gemma’s grandfather keeps pigeons and teaches boxing, the kids drink and commit petty crime, and Gemma finds motherhood.
An intimate portrait of a fading town, and of a young woman’s coming-of-age in a place scarred by society’s broken promises, Scheme Birds captures Gemma’s tenacity and determination as she struggles to rise above her surroundings. Though her budding voice provides a chilling commentary on the violence and loneliness all around her, there is a clear strand of hope in this absorbing story of survival.
Scheme Birds world-premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Best Documentary Feature Award.
“Superb… piercing… an alternately lyrical and gut-punching coming-of-age study. Ellen Fiske and Ellinor Hallin announce themselves as docmakers to watch with this piercing chronicle of a Scottish teen’s drastic coming of age.” – Variety
“Intimate and wrenchingly affecting… this extraordinary documentary weighs the bleak details against moments of lyrical beauty and even humor. It’s a remarkable achievement.” – Screendaily
“It’s a beautifully shot, often heartbreaking slice-of-life tale that quickly pulls the viewer in with its captivating lead.” – Film Pulse
Doors open at 6:30pm. Single admission to Scheme Birds is $10, or $8 for students. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at Cactus Records and Movie Lovers, as well as the Doc Series website. Visit www.bozemandocseries.org to purchase Season Passes or 7-film punch cards, and to view trailers for upcoming films.
This biweekly documentary screening series is curated by award-winning filmmaker Jason Burlage. The Doc Series brings brand new films from around the world to the Emerson’s Crawford Theater between October and April.
