Our feminist picks of this year’s Glasgow Film Festival. Anna delves into personal punk rock doc Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché and witty coming-of-age Sweetheart with cast and crew.
First, Celeste Bell reveals what it was like to make a film about her mother, the punk icon and X-Ray Spex frontwoman, Poly Styrene. Weaving archive footage with Celeste’s narration, the documentary unpicks Styrene’s eccentric and multi-layered life, and explores the effect fame had on life at home. Celeste shares the challenges of piecing together such a personal film and how the process changed her relationship with her late mother.
Next, writer-director Marley Morrison and actor Ella-Rae Smith join Anna to discuss crushes and caravan parks in Sweetheart. Marley pinpoints where the film draws on personal experiences and explains the importance of creating an uplifting lesbian love story. From Friday night discos to the magic of no phone signal, Ella reminisces about the fun they had behind the scenes. Marley and Ella also discuss the build-up to the intimate scene, having lots of women on the crew and working with Jo Hartley.
Keep listening for even more GFF21 watching recommendations.
Other mentions: This Is England; Dead Man’s Shoes; Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging; Lady Bird; Séance; The Lost Girls.
Celeste Bell 
Marley Morrison 
Ella-Rae Smith