Scotland's Home Movies

Narrated by Richard Madden, this film is a nostalgic look at how home movie-making in Scotland became a cultural phenomenon. Featuring fascinating and poignant cine films and the makers and stars of the movies themselves, we look back to some of the very first examples of Scottish home movies from the 1920s. Whilst cinema itself was still in its infancy, the idea of making movies for yourself wasn't far behind. But early cine cameras were hand-cranked, mechanical and cumbersome. They were also expensive, too expensive for all but the wealthiest. By the 1940s and 50s, after the horrors of World War II, home movie-making really took off, capturing the austerity of the 1940s and the prosperity of the 1950s. Cheaper cameras meant that Scotland's middle classes were now also able to capture their lives on film. By the 1960s there was a sense that anything was possible. It was a truly dynamic period in British history. Revolutions in youth culture, music and fashion transformed the look and feel of the country. Home movie making became a cultural phenomenon with people from all walks of life taking up the hobby.