FILM
Born _ romantic
Cupid is at large in London as Scottish director DAVID KANE goes in search of This Year’s Love. Words: Nigel Floyd
Photograph: Chris Blott
ll l)a\'itl‘s Kane stilt. Scottish— accentetl \‘oice instantly rey‘ettls his origins. how come his new hittersweet romantic comedy. This~ Teri/"s" l.()l'('. is .set in l.tintltiti‘s trently neighhourhootl ol (‘anitlenl’ In lact. w t'itei'~tlit'ectoi' Kane has liyetl in London lor years. though he still has a llat in (ilasgow.
This Year's Lgu‘t' is therelore closer to his own recent experiences. and those til his lrientls. he they l.ontloners or exiletl Scots. Yet the lilni's sell? tlepret‘ating hutnour antl ctlgy tone. plus the presence ol Scottish actors Douglas llenshall antl l)ougray Scott. giye it a tlistinctly (ilaswegian leel.
‘I know what you inean.~ says Kane. ‘hut I always concenetl ol it as taking place in ('anitlen. .\lost ol the stull l’ye written. like .Tlllt' (hr and Ruffian l/t'urlx. has heen set in Scotland: hut l'ye liyetl in London lor a while now. so I thought it would he interesting to write ahout that sitle ol iny eyperiencesf
\‘y’ith Valentines Day approaching. This )i'ttr'y l.()l'(’ is heing .stiltl as ;l let'l—gtititl ‘tlate moyie‘. Kane certainly tttlltlll'es stil‘llislit‘aletl 'se\ \\;lt“ cometlies. ill particular their crackling thalogue and telling lines. little moments can he hig moments in people's li\'es.' he says. ‘I tlti think that the little moments in lile are what you renietnhcr one sentence. one thing that a person says to you can change your w hole lile.‘
:\t a stretch. Kane's slire‘wtl ohseryatitins til the intertwinetl loy'e liyes ol si\ late twentysomethings might just quality as a thinking cotlhle's ‘tlate llltch“ hut. unlike its llolly'wootl peers. it has tio artilicial sweeteners. 'lillllllx the tlillel'ellt‘c hetween the rountlctl. pungent l;l\le til true espresso t‘ttllt‘t‘ and the thin. hlantl insipitlity oi instant (ioltl lilentl. with lotir heapetl teaspoons ol sugar.
til
David Kane
.\latle ltit‘ a mtitlcst £5 million. KaucK cinema tlehut consolitlates the reputation he earned hy writing plays and 'l'\' tlratnas. 'l‘liese inclutletl the ht‘illiaut Kit/huh l/t'tti'ly. which leaturetl a cracking
perlortnance hy the then relatiy'ely ttnknown l’etcr
\lullan. hut which was lirst antl loretnost
enseinhle piece. ‘I tlo like ensetnhlc pieces. which is why hoth
llll
20 THELIST 7; I» my.
‘The little moments in life are what you remember — one thing that a person says to you can change your whole life.’
Going through emotions: David Kane directs This Year's Love
lx’tt/iiun llmr/s and This Year's l.()\'(' were made in that way.‘ Katie explains. ‘But men when I wrote series lor the BBC. they were like ensernhle pieces. with eight or tw'ely'e tnain characters. I start with the characters. l get them in my head and I think. "Well. this is gtiittg lti he their kitttl til lile. and this is going
to he their New ol lile”. .’\lltl then I get another
character and l ptit them together. and [We got something happening. Only then do I start thinking ahotit story. or working out the structure.’
Kane is currently writing a script calletl li’orn RU/Htllllit'. salsa dancing cluhs. Again it‘s a romantic comedy. and again there are ttti easy stiltllitms lit the yagaries ol loy'e.
"l'he characters in This )t't/r'y l,ui't' hay e heett till a journey and they’ye got
somewhere that‘s a lot lurther
on. hut they ha\en't got the answers. hecause I don‘t think anyhotly eyer does. really. People get more aware and they do grow a hit. htit that's ahout the hest you can hope lot. It's a hig. hig suhject. and it etmltises a lot til. people. Most til iny l't'ielitls are totally conlusetl. .'\lltl I like writing ahout that. hecause somehth it helps. lt's therapeutic.‘
General release from Fri 19 Feb. Special previews on Sun 14 Feb. Reviewed next issue.
set in the world ol
Rough cuts
Lights, camera, action . . .
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PETER MULLAN AND others from the cast of My Name Is Joe will be on hand at the Glasgow Film and Video Workshop on Thursday 11 February to announce the winner of the Screenworks ’99 short film production scheme. Screenworks offers new filmmakers the opportunity to develop their ideas while receiving technical and production support at a GFVW residency.
The date also sees the launch of Cineworks, a new short film scheme which will offer production grants of up to £15,000 and finishing grants of £5,000 to five filmmakers (with some previous experience) this spring. Cineworks will fund drama, documentary and animation projects on 16mm, and more information is available from GFVW at 34 Albion Street, Glasgow, G1 1LH (0141 553 2620).
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