Four years after the UK went into lockdown due to the global COVID 19 pandemic, BBC ALBA explores the long-lasting impact of the virus experienced by people across Scotland in a brand new Trusadh documentary, Fo Sgàil Covid/Covid’s Long Shadow.
The Office of National Statistics estimated that there are around two million people in Scotland and England suffering with ‘long Covid’. For those who are still battling with the after-effects of the disease, it makes working and undertaking everyday tasks challenging.
Broadcaster Cathy Macdonald travels around Scotland to meet people living with the lasting effects of Covid to learn about the different ways in which the disease has affected them and how they have been managing their recovery whilst living in Covid’s long shadow.
David MacLennan from Gress on the Isle of Lewis is amongst those who Cathy talks to during the documentary, produced by MacTV. David has spent most of his working life in nature conservation and loves the outdoors.
The impact the disease has had on him has been incredibly challenging.
He said: “I became ill about a year into the pandemic. Like everyone else, I isolated for 10 days, but after the 10 days were up, I was not fine.”
David was admitted to Western Isles Hospital, before being airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and admitted to the High Dependency Unit. David was eventually discharged but it took him nearly four months to begin to show signs of recovery.
He continues: “For a man who has never been in hospital in his life, for that to happen so quickly was an absolute shock to the system.
“I remember everything I experienced, from the headaches and the high temperatures to the fatigue; I couldn’t walk 10 yards and I couldn’t breathe. Thankfully, the treatment I received in the High Dependency Unit worked, and the staff in Raigmore were fantastic; I owe them my life.
“I struggled to walk around the house when I got home. It took me four months before I could even think about starting back at work. I remember coming to Tràigh Mhòr beach with a colleague who I hadn’t seen for some time to just get out of the house. It was such a pleasure to be able to walk along the sand, something that was so precious to me before and I thought was being taken away from me by Covid.”
When asked about his health now, David says: “I am about 90% of who I was before Covid. I am back climbing hills and catching salmon.
“I feel privileged to do these things. At my work I am able to go out into the countryside and meet people, which I couldn’t do when I was ill.
“There is still a bit to go, but I am working on it.”
Learn more about the real lives and stories of those affected by long Covid in Fo Sgail Covid / Covid’s Long Shadow, premiering on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer on Monday 19 August at 9pm (in Gaelic with English subtitles).
17-year-old Nuala has spent much of her life fighting for the support she needs as someone on the autism spectrum. BBC ALBA followed Nuala on her mission to pave the way for change, starting in her hometown in the north-west Highlands of Scotland.
Nuala’s push for change was inspired by a trip to Canada’s first autism friendly town in Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. The simple changes adopted by the town to make life easier for people with autism inspired Nuala to help her own community in Ullapool, and the surrounding area, become autism friendly.
Produced by MacTV this new 30-minute documentary, Saoghal Nuala / Nuala’s World – #MyAutismFriendlyVillage, explores how autism impacts the way people communicate and process the world around them; and follows Nuala working with schools, businesses and organisations to implement small changes to improve the lives of people with autism.
Nuala said: “Initially, before my diagnosis, I thought that I was odd and stupid and couldn’t understand it… It was a relief to get the diagnosis. It was good to see that I wasn’t just… that I was still sane but just in a different way. This also opened a lot of doors for me.
“Everyone was more willing to help me. The teachers were given extra training. There was extra support there and that was so beneficial for me.”
More than one in 100 people in Scotland have autism – all with skills, talents and ambitions. However, many don’t understand autism which is why Nuala wants to create change so that other youngsters don’t face the same difficulties.
Encouraged by the pioneering work of Joan Chaisson – a retired special education teacher and co-founder of the support group Autism Involves Me (AIM) – with schools, hotels, shops, and the hairdresser in Channel-Port aux Basques’, Nuala’s mum said: “They had drawn attention to how people with autism feel and their daily life.
“It was fascinating … It was clear that the whole town supported her plans. Nuala was so inspired by this. We realised that the same could be done in Ullapool.”
Offering viewers a better understanding of the unique perspectives that she and others on the autistic spectrum experience, and in turn, learning what we can all do as a society to make our communities more inclusive, and accommodating for all, Nuala explains: “I want the local businesses to be better informed about autism and also for the community to be autism friendly.
“People with autism will feel more comfortable here and that includes me… You should be proud of yourself and your capabilities.”
Sharing an insight into her skills, from her photographic memory to her understanding of rhythm which helped her win a bronze medal at the 2022 St Ayles Skiff World Championships, she says: “Lots of people ask me if I would rather not have autism. I tell them that I like having autism because I have these superpowers now and I like that. I’m so proud of myself and of my superpowers.
“I would like people on the spectrum to walk with their head held high. That’s very important. I want to be like that and to create a new stereotype. I look forward to that.”
Saoghal Nuala / Nuala’s World – #MyAutismFriendlyVillage, premiers on BBC iPlayer and BBC ALBA and on Monday 5 August at 9pm (in Gaelic with English subtitles).Watch live or on demand: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0021swp
BBC ALBA follows the record-breaking athletic career of professional swimmer, Kara Hanlon, in a brand-new documentary, airing on the 24 July, ahead of the Olympic swimming schedule.
Produced by Sunset+Vine, Kara Hanlon: Dare to Dream takes viewers on a journey through the life of the Hebridean swimmer, from her childhood growing up in Stornoway to training for the qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The now four-time British champion was inspired to take up the sport from a young age after learning to swim in her local community pool in Stornoway.
Speaking in the documentary, Kara said: “I did a lot of other sports when I was younger like running, but swimming for me was the one that always stuck.
“I was taught to swim by some of the local lifeguards at the old Stornoway pool, and what I remember most was racing for badges that I could put on my swimsuit to show that I’d made it to 50m or to 100m.”
At 14, Kara’s competitive swimming career took a major step forward after a chance meeting with DR Morrison, a prominent Lewis-based swim coach.
Kara said: “I didn’t want to go cross-country one morning and my mum said, okay, if you don’t go to cross country, go swimming instead. So off I went swimming and I bumped into DR and he basically asked me to be part of his group that he was developing for the Island Games.”
Kara goes on to detail the sacrifices her family often had to make for her swimming development in terms of both financial cost and time: “There were a lot of times where my parents would have to take time off work to take me on the ferry over to the mainland, and I think they were just willing to support me through that and that just meant going to more and more competitions going up and up the levels.”
Kara, now 27, has since achieved top swimming accolades in her professional athletic career. Last year she became the fastest female breaststroker in Scottish history for both 50m at the 2023 Glasgow International Swim Meet, and 100m during the North District Open Championships in Aberdeen.
In 2022, Kara achieved her childhood dream by becoming the first ever swimmer from the Western Isles to represent Scotland at a Commonwealth Games when she competed at Birmingham 2022. Reaching the finals of the 50m and 100m Breaststroke events, Kara also swam the final of the 4x100m Women’s Medley Relay, helping her team to a 5th placed finish.
Talking about swimming, Kara says: “I think it kind of chose me. I feel like it was kind of my destined path. Breaking Scottish records is something that I’ll always have, and I’ll always cherish. And I have been the fastest woman in Scotland ever.”
Fiona MacKenzie, commissioning editor at BBC ALBA, said: “From a 12.5m pool to competing in the qualifying rounds of the Olympic Games, Kara has gone from a small pond to a big pool.
“She is one of Scotland’s most decorated athletes, yet maintains a humble demeanour as she candidly opens up about her life growing up on Lewis in this new documentary.
“We can’t wait for BBC ALBA viewers to see what it takes to become a competitive swimmer and hopefully inspire the next generation of talent.”
Kara Hanlon: Dare to Dream will premiere on BBC ALBA on Wednesday 24 July at 9pm and on demand on BBC iPlayer (in Gaelic with English subtitles):
BBC ALBA is delving into the ‘covert’ sexual history of the Gaelic language and it’s speakers in a new Trusadh documentary.
Feise ann an Gàidhlig | Sex in Gaelic explores the way sex has been perceived in Gaelic literature, poetry, music and customs across the centuries – studying language which has never been discussed on Gaelic TV.
Airing on Monday 20 May at 10pm, the fascinating, eye-opening, even shocking historic relationship between sex and the Gael will be uncovered with the help of artistic and academic experts.
Directed and presented by Scottish writer, Catriona Lexy Campbell, the 60-minute documentary will take audiences on a trip across Scotland to discover the Gaels who helped shape – or dispel – wider societal perceptions of and attitudes to sex.
At the University of St Andrews, Catriona meets Peter Mackay, co-author of The Little Blue Book – the first collection of ‘obscene and transgressive’ Gaelic poetry. Together they discuss the oldest erotic verse in the Gaelic language and learn about the colourful characters who wrote them.
In the Isle of Skye Catriona meets singer and folklorist, Anne Martin, to learn about how women dealt with sex and risk – through song.
In Inverness-shire, acclaimed author Sarah Fraser tells the story of Alexander Macdonald, one of the most renowned Gaelic poets who – thanks to some of his more expressive verses – is also one of the most censored.
Catriona said: “For the first time, we are uncovering language that hasn’t been discussed on Gaelic television before.
“Though there is sometimes the view that the Gaels are particularly reserved people when it comes to discussing emotions or sexuality, when we look closely at this historic literature, that’s not really the case.
“There is clear evidence of people being more expressive about sex than was previously thought. That’s why we’re putting a spotlight on understanding and preserving the explicit, and sometimes downright obscene, language used throughout our history.”
The documentary also looks at changes in attitudes towards individuals’ sexuality. Catriona reflects on how the past has impacted modern attitudes and even uncovered new connections.
Feise ann an Gàidhlig | Sex in Gaelic premieres on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer on Monday 20 May at 10pm (in Gaelic with English subtitles).
A special film which captures experiences of staff across NHS Lothian is being launched today (28 April 2022) to show the public and future generations what it was like to work during the pandemic.
Premiering online, the film reveals how NHS Lothian staff mounted an extraordinary response to the unprecedented challenge of Covid-19.
The health board was the first to receive and care for a COVID-19 patient in Scotland. It then went on to set up one of the first drive-through testing facilities and played a significant role in ground-breaking research, testing and vaccination.
The one-hour documentary is told through a series of interviews, videos and photographs of staff, providing reflections of working during the pandemic over the last two years.
Calum Campbell, Chief Executive of NHS Lothian said: “While this film cannot do justice to the work of every team or service, it offers a flavour of the outstanding commitment of all our staff. We are extremely proud of how they responded to the pandemic and how hard our teams continue to work.
“We recognise the journey is far from over. COVID is still with us, pressures on staffing are severe and the effects of the pandemic will be felt for a long time to come. But we have learned a great deal and will put that to good use as we plan for the future.
“We want to thank all our staff for their continued exceptional service and our patients and the wider public of Edinburgh and the Lothians for the support they show our staff.”
The film is part of NHS Lothian’s wider commemorative plans, which are supported by its official charity partner, the Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation.
Also featuring in the film is a special commemorative song written and performed by Scottish singer and songwriter, Marina Rolink, especially to thank all NHS Lothian staff.
Commenting on her involvement in the film, Staff Nurse Viv Conway, who was a student nurse during the first wave of COVID in 2020, said: “It’s still raw, and it’s still relevant in how we practice on our ward. It’s impacted our ward and it’s impacted the culture that we work in, the need to focus on our colleagues and our team.
“I think the film really brings back a lot of emotions as a true representation of what it was like on the front line and the sacrifices that we made and how we came together at a very difficult time.”
The film will premiere on NHS Lothian’s YouTube channel at 6pm tonight and will remain available for people to watch in the future.
Don’t miss the online launch of our documentary which tells the story of NHS Lothian’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic through interviews, videos and pictures of our staff.
Please join us to reflect and watch the premiere on our YouTube Channel on Thursday 28 April, 6pm. #pandemic#covid-19
Film captures the harsh realities of life in temporary accommodation during a pandemic
A NEW film documents the hardships and challenging living conditions faced by asylum seekers in Glasgow during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I’m Still Here, based on video diaries and photos shared by people living in temporary accommodation and other forms of housing, highlights the insecurity of their lives and constant battle to find the strength to carry on.
Around 350 asylum seekers were moved from their settled flats into various hotels in the city centre following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 in what was said to be an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.
A study last year by Edinburgh Napier University researchers found that they faced unsafe conditions, mobility restrictions and a lack of communication from service providers.
The report said the asylum seekers’ accounts – in which they likened their hotel-type accommodation to detention centres – “pointed to a provision that was inattentive towards their needs, vulnerability and wellbeing.”
Now an 18-minute documentary film produced as part of the research project by staff from Edinburgh Napier is to be premiered at Glasgow’s GMAC Film hub at a stakeholder event from 11am-2pm tomorrow – Wednesday February 23.
Further public screenings are being organised across Scotland and the UK to highlight the challenges faced by the country’s asylum seekers and raise public awareness of the issue.
Film director Dr Kirsten MacLeod, the University’s Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Television, said: “I’m Still Here offers a powerful insight into the lived realities of men, women and children placed in temporary accommodation in Glasgow during the pandemic.
“Participants speak of the insecurity of the system in which they find themselves and of extremely challenging living conditions.
“From hotels, hostels and a mother and baby unit, they tell of the stress and hardships they have faced as well as their personal efforts to stay strong, bravely sharing their experiences in the hope that their stories can affect audiences and create change.
“Featuring footage from across 2021, the film aims to humanise and give voice to those seeking asylum and living in Scotland and highlights inadequate policy and treatment of asylum seekers.”
The research study – funded by the Economic and Social Research Council – and film were produced in collaboration with migrant-led grassroots organisation Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment (MORE).
Dr Taulant Guma, Principal Investigator and lecturer in Edinburgh Napier’s School of Applied Sciences, said: “The recent moves by private sector firms to relocate asylum seekers to hotels across the UK during the pandemic have led to a great deal of misinformation in the public and media about the ‘luxurious’ conditions offered by these temporary arrangements, misinformation which has further perpetuated the stigmatisation of asylum seekers during the pandemic.
“This co-produced documentary captures the impact and reality of these moves through the eyes and from the perspective of asylum seekers themselves.
“Through their video diaries, our participants tell a very different story from the one we often hear, a story that sheds new light on Covid realities for those individuals whose lives and mobility are largely regulated and restricted by the state and private companies.”
Yvonne Blake, co-founder of MORE, said: “The footage of the prison-like conditions the participants endured in the hotel capture the hostile environment at work and its significant impact on people’s mental health.
“Sadly, it has become common practice for the UK government Home Office through various contractors to subject international protection applicants to this kind of treatment.”
A documentary film showcasing a talented autistic pianist has won a prestigious Scottish BAFTA award.
Harmonic Spectrum, which features 25 year old Edinburgh-based Sean Logan, was awarded the distinguished honor in the Short Film & Animation category at the star-studded BAFTA Scotland Awards on Saturday.
The film focuses on Sean, a talented musician using the piano to navigate life on the Autistic Spectrum. As he is drawn into new musical collaborations, he must learn to balance his enthusiasm and compulsive energy with understanding and compromise, redefining his artistic perspective.
The documentary short was produced and directed by Austen McCowan and Will Hewitt (above), and has been shown at several film festivals throughout the UK.
Having already gained Best Short Documentary at the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival and the Optical Sound Award at the Flatpack Film Festival, the BAFTA win is the film’s most high-profile honour to date.
The BAFTA Scotland awards honour achievement in Scotland’s film, television and video game industries.
Sean Logan, who is starring in Harmonic Spectrum, said:“I hope that the legacy of this film is focused on what art can mean for people on the spectrum. Music is a therapeutic tool for people like myself, it connects me to people, music is something that brings people together.
“What I’ve learned is that the help is out there, and it’s by using tools that are out there already in the world for autistic people like myself, that I’ve succeeded. However, we need to ensure that people have access to those tools, because loads of people are still struggling.
“We’re really coming into a great time for people on the spectrum, as autism is being understood and identified a lot more now, and by 2050, who’s to say that neurodiversity won’t be the norm?”
Rob Holland, External Affairs Manager at the National Autistic Society Scotland, said:“We’re delighted to see Harmonic Spectrum receiving a Scottish BAFTA award, as it represents an important step in raising awareness of the lives and experiences of the 56,000 autistic people in Scotland.
“The depiction of autistic people in film and TV has often been from the perspective of non-autistic people and in many cases has compounded myths and assumptions. This film flips that putting Sean’s voice as well as his music at the heart of the story.
“We hope that this achievement will inspire more stories from autistic people like Sean to be told through film.”
Edinburgh International Film Festival is delighted to announce that it will screen the World Premiere of Prince of Muck – set on the tiny inhabited island of Muck, off Scotland’s west coast, Cindy Jansen’s cinematic and haunting documentary explores how difficult it is to change the habits of a lifetime.
On Thursday 19 August the World Premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival will simultaneously see the film screened in around 12 locations across Scotland from Edinburgh to Lerwick, Tiree to Tobermory and Inverness to Glasgow.
Lawrence MacEwen, who turns 80 years old this weekend, has farmed the Isle of Muck since the late 1960s. With his family he has created a rural retreat, perhaps out of time with the rapid transformations of the world around it. Revered for his eco-conscious stewardship in the 1970s, Lawrence now finds himself stubbornly battling to preserve his vision of the island for the next generation.
Dutch filmmaker Cindy Jansen captures a uniquely cinematic portrait of a place and a person haunted by the past and struggling to maintain their relevance for the future.
Prince of Muck is one of three films which will screen simultaneously at locations across Scotland as part of EIFF’s vision to play an active role in bringing cinema audiences back together across the country.
Partnering with independent cinemas and working in partnership with Film Hub Scotland, INDY Cinema Group and Regional Screen Scotland, fantastic films secured as part of EIFF will be shown in local cinemas including the opening film, the European Premiere of Pig starring Nicolas Cage at his melancholy best, and the Festival’s closing film, the UK Premiere of Here Today, directed and starring the disarmingly charming Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish.
Full details of screening locations will be released with the programme on 28 July but include Mareel Shetland, Tiree Isle of Tiree, Screen Machine Tobermory and Fort Augustus, Glasgow Film Theatre, Oban Phoenix, Macrobert Arts Centre Stirling, Eden Court Inverness, DCA Dundee, Heart of Hawick, Belmont Filmhouse Aberdeen, Birks Cinema Aberfeldy – and the home of EIFF, Filmhouse in Edinburgh.
Prince of Muck and the Scotland wide screenings of these three EIFF films is supported by the Scottish Government’s Festival’s EXPO Fund.
Filmmaker Cindy Jansen said:“I first went to the Isle of Muck with an open curiosity, but quickly became fascinated by the complex nature of the way in which everyone on the island is interdependent.
“It made me think deeply about my own society, here in Holland, but I knew that in Muck, I had the opportunity to study the fragile balance between tradition and modernity in an entire ‘micro society’.
“In Lawrence MacEwen, I found an engaging character, who is not only deeply embedded in the community, but who transcends the history of the island, as he struggles to accept that intergenerational change is profoundly challenging, but inevitable.
“It is wonderful that the film will premiere at EIFF in Scotland, close to its home ground. I feel it is a great compliment to the people in the film and the team who made it happen, in Scotland and here in The Netherlands.”
Rohan Crickmar, Documentary Programme Consultant for EIFF said: “Quite simply it is a celebration of the Scottish landscape and its people that focuses on the need to renew and evolve heritage and tradition to preserve a sense of community.
“It will allow you to see a part of Scotland rarely documented, and in a strikingly different way which highlights cultural commonalities across Europe’s northlands.”
Ken Hay, CEO of EIFF said: “EIFF is delighted to be working with partner venues across Scotland in our celebration of the communal cinema experience with the simultaneous screening of Prince of Muck, along with our opening film, Pig and our closing film, Here Today.
“These will be special moments for the festival and the filmmakers, but most importantly for audiences across the country. Huge thanks to the Scottish Government and the Festivals Expo Fund for supporting this initiative.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Edinburgh International Film Festival excels in showcasing Scotland, and this year is no exception.
“The World Premiere of Scottish-made documentary Prince of Muck – one of three films to be simultaneously screened in locations across Scotland during the festival – will bring audiences back together to see our nation through different eyes, celebrating its landscapes, its people and the importance of community.
“I am pleased that £50,000 of funding from the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund has contributed to the Edinburgh International Film Festival’s innovative development of this communal cinema experience, so that these films can be enjoyed nationwide.”
Screen Scotland’s Mark Thomas said: “This beautifully cinematic portrait of an island and a family in transition is the result of a strong European co-production between Scotland-based production company Faction North and Dutch company De Productie, coming together to realise director Cindy Jansen’s vision.
“Thanks to the Festival’s work with venues and cinemas, it’s fantastic that audiences across Scotland will have the opportunity to see the film simultaneously this summer.”
Prince of Muck was supported by The National Lottery and the Scottish Government through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund.
Period poverty, period dignity and menstrual education comes under spotlight in new film created by Edinburgh Napier students
A documentary that captures a three-year long campaign by students and staff at Edinburgh Napier to raise awareness of period poverty will be premiered tonight.
‘Bleeding Free’ will premiere online tonight (Thursday 20 May) at 7pm.
The documentary captures the work and campaigning of Bleedin’ Saor – a collective consisting of Product Design, Film and TV students as well as staff members from the University’s School of Arts and Creative Industries.
Bleedin’ Saor (saor translates to the English word ‘free’) was formed in early 2019 to combat menstrual myths and break the ‘silence of menstruation’ in order to create a long-lasting impact for young people and their communities.
The documentary – which was filmed, edited and produced by students and staff from Edinburgh Napier – looks at topics such as period poverty, period dignity and menstrual education both in Scotland and overseas in Uganda.
The collective visited Uganda in 2019 as it took its campaign to East Africa to join the global efforts in the menstrual movement.
The 10-day trip saw the group meet with and interview members of a number of organisations within the country who are fighting for better period product provision, gender equality and women’s’ rights.
The team met staff at the Girl Up Initiative which aims to empower women and girls through menstrual education, including taking their message out onto the streets of Kampala. The collective also viewed menstrual health workshops in primary schools and saw first hand how social enterprises producing re-usable sanitary pads can help sustain local communities as well as enable girls to stay in school longer.
The trip also saw the Bleedin’ Saor team meet up with Irise International which aims to create menstruation friendly schools in Uganda. With the charity, the team met with elders who support women and girls in their communities and presented their own ideas to a primary school in Buwenge, a town in the Eastern region of Uganda.
Closer to home, the documentary also captures the work of the collective and its three designers – Sam Calder, Hannah Stevens and Brogan Henderson – as they worked with the University and the Hey Girls social enterprise to design two new period product dispensers.
The final design has been used by Edinburgh Napier to make period products free to all who need them within the University’s campuses and will soon be installed in schools, colleges and universities across the country. The free products at Edinburgh Napier have been made available thanks to Scottish Government funding.
The Bloody Big Brunch event hosted by Bleedin’ Saor at all three of Edinburgh Napier’s campuses in early 2019 – which saw guests pay for entry to the brunch through donating period products rather than money – is also revisited in the film.
The premiere of the documentary had been delayed previously as a result of the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, but the team is delighted to now be able to revisit its campaign with a wider audience.
Dr Kirsten Macleod, programme leader of the BA (Hons) Television programme at Edinburgh Napier and Executive Producer of the film, said: “We are so pleased to be able to share this film and showcase how Scotland is leading the world in providing free access to period products alongside the amazing work being done here and in Uganda on menstrual education and support. This is a global issue that will change the lives of millions of women and girls.”
The entire Bleedin’ Saor project has been co-ordinated by Product Design lecturer, Ruth Cochrane, Dr. Kirsten Macleod and School of Arts and Creative Industries’ placements officer, Lindsay Morgan. It has received funding from Santander Mobility Grants and other funding initiatives.
More information on the Bleeding Free documentary and information on how to reserve your ticket to the premiere can be found at
