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National Library of Scotland

Biography of 'Scottish Screen Collection'

Publicly funded film collection

In April 1997, the Scottish Film Council, Scottish Screen Locations, Scottish Broadcast and Film Training and the Scottish Film Production Fund merged to form the non-departmental government body Scottish Screen. Creating a ‘one stop shop’ for the screen industries was important and built on the momentum of success stories such as Braveheart (1995), Rob Roy (1995) and Trainspotting (1996). Scottish Screen had an ambitious remit - concerned with cultural and educational access to screen heritage as well as the business and resourcing of film-making in Scotland.

As the parent body of the Scottish Screen Archive, Scottish Screen had an obligation to preserve films funded from the public purse, particularly relevant now distribution of Lottery funds was its responsibility. Although funding arrangements existed between its predecessor bodies and other organisations (eg. broadcasters), Scottish Screen also introduced a clause in production agreements that provided for a copy of the finished work to be deposited for archival preservation.

In 2007, the Scottish Screen Archive transferred to the National Library of Scotland, and with it, the responsibility to continue collecting film, video and born digital work. Scottish Screen transferred their former distribution collection and back catalogue to the Archive, much of which was earlier work not covered by the new arrangements. This diverse collection of modern Scottish film production now promises to grow in partnership with Creative Scotland from 2010 and far into Scotland’s digital future.

The collection contains creative and factual documentary, experimental artists film, video dance, animation, comedy, horror, drama …. They include films made by people of all ages, some featuring Scottish actors ‘before they were famous’, and there are plenty of lesser-known titles to explore, eg. THE EVANESCENT HERB GARDEN OF DEATH (1993)

Dating from the early 1980s onwards, such works have generally been made through a variety of funding and training initiatives. Scottish Screen and its predecessor bodies ran such schemes in collaboration with partners, ensuring vital broadcast and theatrical exposure for new filmmaking talent.

First Reels (1991 - 1999), in collaboration with Scottish Television, offered small financial incentives (£50 - £2000) but more importantly, hands-on experience and exposure. The scheme proved a springboard to greater things for talent such as Peter Mullan, David Tennant and Hannah Robinson, yet supported community groups (Pilton Video, Castlemilk Elderly Forum), individual animators, dancers, students and video artists. Prime Cuts (1996 - 1998) followed, encouraging innovative films on 16mm between 5 – 7 min, from documentary to experimental. Graduates of this scheme include acclaimed video dance artist, Katrina McPherson and directors Morag MacKinnon, Justin Molotnikov and Elly M. Taylor. Tartan Shorts (1993 - 1996), Tartan Smalls (2002 - 2005) and the Gaelic language Geur Ghearr (1996 - 1998) - schemes working with with BBC Scotland and Comataidh Craolaidh Gaidhlig - led to short films shown on family television sets across the country, and those same titles distributed to festivals across the world. Amongst this collection is the Oscar-winning FRANZ KAFKA'S IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1993), This Scotland (2002 - 2005) and New Found Land (2000 - 2004) are examples of schemes co-funded by STV and Grampian that produced a variety of productions with longer running times of up to 25 min and a strong emphasis on quality documentary.

Around 2002, a slight shift away from shorts to predominantly Scottish-funded features as well as international co-productions is evident. These range from the hard-hitting 16 YEARS OF ALCOHOL (2003), to the lighthearted STONE OF DESTINY (2008). SEACHD - INACCESSIBLE PINNACLE (2007) is the first feature film in the language of Scottish Gaelic to achieve mainstream cinematic distribution. (The archive holds deposit copies on 35mm as well as HD). International co-productions include SKAGERRAK (2004) and animated THE THREE MUSKETEERS (DE TRE MUSKATERER) (2006).

Aside from the funded schemes, there is much to enjoy. Music video 4 Minute Wonders (2001 - 2003) feature Scottish bands and record labels (Soma, Chemikal Underground). Bridging the Gap (since 2004) remains an intelligent, creative force in Scottish film-making. Scottish Students on Screen (started c. 1999) material ranges from GUID MAN OF BALLENGEICH (2001), made by schoolchildren in Stirlingshire, to COLD TAPE (2000), shown at Tate Britain. Interviews, stills, scripts, and other supporting documentation relating to the films are all kept.

There are just under 700 titles recorded to date. As well as basic content information, much of which has been taken from secondary sources (title, release date, synopsis, director, producer, production company, sponsor), full cast and credits are transcribed directly from viewing the source material. For the first time, the full scope, range and amount of Scottish publicly funded film in the last three decades has been brought together in one searchable set of data – with open public access worldwide.

Due to rights and conditions of deposit, viewings are only offered on National Library of Scotland premises. Requests for a loan, to screen, duplicate or otherwise distribute material in the collection should be directed to Creative Scotland. Permission for such uses will only be given in consultation with rights holders.

This is a work in progress - a constantly evolving collection. The growth of the collection reflects the creativity and talent of those working the screen industries in Scotland. The collection continues to flourish, with new work produced under Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland.

Missing, believed lost?
Gaps in the collection have been identified, and it would be invaluable to find this material and preserve it in the national collection. Representation of earlier work, such as First Reels, is patchy (eg. an interview with the director of a film exists on Betacam SP tape, but the 16mm completed film is nowhere to be seen!) Some films are incomplete or in poor condition and there may still be surviving material somewhere.

Researcher: Ann Cameron

Films associated with 'COCOZZA, Enrico'

Title Release date Film reference Sound Colour Date film record added Date video added Asc Desc
	NATIVE ROOTS [8231] Add to my films A dramatic animation illustrating the history of local native woodlands which emphasises the interconnectedness of man and the environment. Created by young people from Golspie High School and the Active Abriachan Group.		2002 sound col
	NEAR ROOM, the [3099] Add to my films Charlie Colquhoun is a journalist whose career is floundering. As a teenager, he fathered a daughter, Tommy, who was committed to foster care as an infant. Seventeen years later, Charlie, Tommy, and Charlie's old schoolmate Harris Hill (now a squeaky-clean solicitor) are reunited by a scandal that includes child pornography, blackmail and murder. [Synopsis taken from Internet Movie Database at http://uk.imbd.com. Last accessed September 2001].		1995 sound col
	NEILSTON SHOW, the [7521] Add to my films The mud-caked, sun-baked glory of the Agricultural Show - from the highs and lows of dressing Highland Cattle to the stresses of preparing a winning entry for the Women's Industrial Tent.		2003 sound col
	NEW FUNK THEORY [8275] Add to my films Music video produced for '4 Minute Wonders' scheme, featuring the track 'New Funk Theory' by H Foundation. Robots and DJs in the lab enjoy the music.		2003 sound col
	NEW TOWN KILLERS [8204] Add to my films Sean Macdonald lives in a small council flat with his sister on the outskirts of Edinburgh. With no job, no money and facing his sister working as drug mule to clear her debts, he agrees to play a game with two mysterious bankers who seem to know everything about him.		2008 sound col
	NEW YORK DIARY [7082] Add to my films A tale of love, obsession and illusion. The beautiful and frustrated Anna turns away from her successful and possessive fiancee James and returns to her drug habit and the streets. Unable to accept or understand her decision James searches the city every night, watching over her, convinced he can save her once more.		1998 sound col
	NIGHT LINES [7999] Add to my films A celebration of the country's performance poets, catching up on them as they perform in the streets and nightclubs of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Featuring the talents of David Alexander, Stephen Allan, Donna Campbell, Andy Fleming, Elspeth Murray and many others.	Onsite only	2002 sound col
	NIGHT MOVES [8280] Add to my films Music video produced for '4 Minute Wonders' scheme, featuring the track 'Night Moves' by Envoy. A man runs through an animated cityscape trying to escape his destiny.... because at the stroke of midnight he will turn into a werewolf!		2003 sound col
	NIGHT PEOPLE [8079] Add to my films A cold October night. Five stories, one city. Night People takes us on a journey across the city of Edinburgh, introducing a cast of characters for whom there will be no sleep.		2005 sound col
	NIGHT SCHOOL [8218] Add to my films A young couple break into an abandoned school. Strangers to one another they struggle to achieve the intimacy they desire.	Onsite only	2008 sound col
	NIGHT SWEEPER, the [7593] Add to my films On a dark Glasgow night, Mick - a council driver - is desperately trying to catch the highlights of a crunch Scotland football match. As Mick struggles with the reception, the world conspires against him...		1998 sound col
	NIGHT SWIMMER [5969] Add to my films Now that they have moved from Malaysia to Scotland, Emily and Kenneth don't have sex anymore. But Emily's experiences in the changing rooms of the local swimming pool are about to change everything.		2000 sound col
	NIGHTWINDOWS [7818] Add to my films Animated film that turns the viewer into a floating voyeur, snatching brief but compelling glimpses of peoples' private worlds beyond the window frame. No dialogue, and with a jazz score by John Zorn.		2001 sound col
	NITRATE WON'T WAIT [8196] Add to my films Woman trying to find out about her natural parents from her new found unhelpful uncle. She finds out some family secrets and a piece of decaying nitrate film. [cutting copy, no credits]	Onsite only	1996 sound bwcol
	NO COKE [8235] Add to my films An argument over a sign, a bottle and a coin at a Norwegian hotel between the receptionist and a visiting English tourist.		2007 sound col
	NO MAN'S LAND [7679] Add to my films Christmas is a battlefield for Rory and his divorcing parents in this beautiful and elegantly told story.		2004 sound col
	NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO THERE YOU ARE [7885] Add to my films Experimental documentary on the children of navy personnel - a study of packing and unpacking, movement, loss and memory. Archive footage and artistic imagery features throughout.		1999 sound bwcol
	NO ONE SEES BLACK [7683] Add to my films A man lies dying - you see pictures. A short film about the final few seconds.		1998 sound col
	NOT ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING [13901] Add to my films Not Another Happy Ending is a romantic drama about a young writer who is attempting to get her first novel published. [Synopsis taken from the BBFC, https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/not-another-happy-ending-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0znzk0odk, last accessed 04/11/2021]		2013 sound col
	NOTHING TO DECLARE [13915] Add to my films A carefree backpacker returns home to find his family dead and horribly mutated. Things go from catastrophically bad to exponentially worse as he discovers that his own death is now imminent, and that the worst is yet to come.		2017 sound col
	NOW IT'S GONE [7522] Add to my films A portrayal of the work done by George Parsonage and Glasgow's Humane Society, told through the eyes of Andrea McGurk, who lost her brother to the River Clyde two years ago.	Onsite only	2003 sound col
	OFFSIDE DREAMS [7675] Add to my films A Scottish street soccer team embark on an emotional journey to Austria (Graz) to play in the first ever Homeless People's World Cup.		2004 sound col
	OH LUCKY MAN [7611] Add to my films In a large country manor house, George indulges in the act of decadence. He seems content, yet do we really know who George is? Why is this man so lucky?	Onsite only	2006 sound col
	ON THE LINE [7830] Add to my films Music video produced for '4 Minute Wonders' scheme, featuring the track 'On The Line' by Radar Brothers. The consequences, in glorious technicolor, of being stuck on 'call waiting' for far far too long......		2002 sound col
	ONE NIGHT IN EMERGENCY [8609] Add to my films One Night In Emergency marks the television debut of critically-acclaimed playwright, Gregory Burke. Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey and Gregory’s own experiences, this hard-hitting drama charts one man’s journey through the wards of an overrun, inner-city hospital.		2009 sound col
	ONE STAR [8608] Add to my films One Star is an animated sitcom pilot set in the worst B&B in space. One Star. It's Scotland Jimmy but not as we know it.	Onsite only	2009 sound col
	ONE TRUE PATH [7682] Add to my films In the wake of increased hostility to Muslims post 9/11, more and more people are converting to Islam. One True Path investigates why someone would want to choose a path that rejects the freedoms of Western democracy.	Onsite only	2004 sound col
	OOMPIE KA DOOMPIE [7619] Add to my films The hybrid animated journey of a Scottish family leaving a grim 70s Glasgow to experience new life in Johannesburg during apartheid, and coming home again with new notions of Africa.	Onsite only	2006 sound col
	ORPHANS [7916] Add to my films A funny and moving story of family rivalries and loyalties. After the death of their mother, a group of siblings go missing through the night in Glasgow. As a violent storm tears through the city, the brothers and their sister are torn apart during a long, dark night of mishaps and misunderstandings.		1999 sound col
	ORWELL: Against the Tide [8110] Add to my films Besides the events of Orwell's life and the universal impact of his work, the film looks at the connections between Orwell's ideas and his continuing contribution to the world today. As Orwell developed into one of the most significant writers of modern times we look beyond the public persona, to uncover the heart, humour and humanity of the authentic Orwell.	Onsite only	2003 sound col
	OTTICA ZERO [8054] Add to my films Soon after her ‘big break’, Italian actress Nadya Cazan disappeared. Ottica Zero follows Nadya from her rejection of the monetary-based system to find an alternative way of living. It is a journey which takes us from Rome to Venus, where social innovator and futurist, Jacques Fresco, proposes a solution.	Onsite only	2007 sound bwcol
	OUDOILLE OVILLE = KARELIAN COWGIRLS [8270] Add to my films At the start of the bitter Winter War, the Soviet Red Army invaded Finnish-Karelia forcing thousands of civilians deep into Finland. Teenagers Annikki, Inkeri and Hikka left their families to drive cattle through deep snow and hostile lands. A lifetime later they look back on their adventures.	Onsite only	2008 sound col
	OUR EYE [6167] Add to my films Experimental in nature, this video is based around the 8mm film collection of the film maker's father. It takes that film, bends it around a bit, adding contemporary film taken 30 - 40 years later of the same subject matter, whilst the commentary muses on the passing of time and experience. Sound and visual effects are also used to enhance the film.		2000 sound bwcol
	OUT OF THE COLD [7656] Add to my films Out Of The Cold is the story of Patrick, a ten year old boy growing up in a small fishing village and his fall from innocence into experience.	Onsite only	2003 sound col
	OUTPOST II: BLACK SUN [13929] Add to my films The year is 1945, the closing stages of WW2, and a German scientist by the name of Klausener is working on a frightening new technology that has the power to create an immortal Nazi army. Flash forward to present day, and a NATO task force is hurriedly deployed to Eastern Europe, where a sinister enemy appears to be mercilessly killing everything in its path. But this is no ordinary foe.		2012 sound col
	OUTPOST III: RISE OF SPETSNAZ [13909] Add to my films 1944 - Deep behind the German Eastern Front. After a successful raid on a Nazi convoy, Sergeant Dolokhov and his Russian Commandos uncover shocking research that could change the tide of the war, but before they can get to safety, they are captured by the Nazi's. Inside the Nazi facility, the Russians discover an invincible army of undead Nazi soldiers. The Russian warriors must battle their way through a horde of aborted experiments to escape the brutal facility - before the Nazis can perfect their research and unleash their zombie army across Europe.		2013 sound col
	OVER LAND AND SEA [7928] Add to my films The last lighthouse keeper in Scotland returning home to his family.		2000 sound col
	PALE STAR [13893] Add to my films Pale Star is about the possessiveness of love, and how that possession peels back to expose power and control until we can see, in its dark heart, not love but murder.		2016 sound col
	PAN-FRIED [7549] Add to my films Davie is about to embark on his working life. Today is his first day at the local knackery.		1998 sound bw
	PAPER CUTS [7620] Add to my films Obsessed with a paper effigy of his loving wife an introverted stationer lives in a fantasy world of staples and photocopies. But when the doll leaves him torn and bleeding and his real wife starts asking awkward questions he must make a choice between flesh and paper.	Onsite only	2006 sound bw
	PARK [8006] Add to my films A Monty-Pythonesque animation telling the wacky tale of a statue in the local park called Seymour Highup, and what happens when his head falls off, and a supergranny steps in! Makes use of cut out and hand-drawn animation techniques.	Onsite only	1993 sound bwcol
	PARK IN NEED, a [21386] Add to my films A plea to save the local park by children from the Upper Auchintore Save the Children Club. [Third in Programme 1 of films by Children and Young people as part of Scottish Students on Screen, 2002.]		2002 sound col
	PARROT ROOM, the [8190] Add to my films The Parrot Room tells the story of Bruno. He is a man constantly haunted by the images of his desires and so he has adopted a strategy of life, experiencing only through fantasy and the experience of others. Throughout the film, Bruno creates an empty space of simulations where the pain of his unresolved desires can't reach him.		2000 sound col
	PASSING GLORY [7914] Add to my films When Spanish Civil War veteran Jessie McFarlane dies, the funeral is a mockery of her life and beliefs. Caught in a family divided by politics and religion Jessie's granddaughter, Sadie, makes a stand.	Onsite only	1986 sound col
	PEN, the [8001] Add to my films When circumstances decide to get awkward, it can enlist the unlikeliest allies. take the humble pen, used millions of times everyday and never given a second through until, of course, you don’t have one and you absolutely need to write something.	Onsite only	1995 sound col
	PEOPLE I'VE SEEN [8189] Add to my films A documentary studying how the public respond to being on camera, filmed on a trip to Glasgow [mostly on the underground]		2001 sound col
	PERFECT [7661] Add to my films A quirky and darkly comic fable, in which a newly-redundant estate agent takes his revenge on the world in a most unexpected way.		2003 sound col
	PERFECTLY FRANK [7660] Add to my films The moving tale of architect Frank Gehry’s desire to create a very special building in memory of a dear friend – the eponymous Maggie’s Centre, a cancer support centre in Dundee, Scotland.	Onsite only	2003 sound col
	PERPETUAL TWILIGHT OF GREGOR BLACK, the [7603] Add to my films An atmospheric and surreal tale of married life: a husband, a wife and a pair of shoes.		2004 sound bw
	PETER IN RADIOLAND [8112] Add to my films Peter is on sick leave and spends most of his time contemplating his past. Little makes sense to him anymore. Comforted by his analogue radios, Peter is left yearning for the old days. This film shares with us a common fear of change portrayed through Peter’s struggle to find his place in the modern world.		2009 sound col