Gude Cause Film Festival
Edinburgh Film House
The showings will be at the Filmhouse at 1pm, on 4 October.
There will be a brief introduction to the programme and a discussion session at the end (speakers to be confirmed later). The three films are described below.
1. RED SKIRTS ON CLYDESIDE
A documentary which looks at the process of rediscovering women’s history using the 1915 Glasgow rent strike as a focal point. The rent strike, which took place during the First World War, was a protest against Glasgow landlords who were exploiting the war situation. The women of the tenements and the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association, including Jean Ferguson, Mary Barbour and Helen Crawford, organised a vigorous protest which forced the Government to take action. The film celebrates this victory and presents for discussion some of the problems in attempting to rediscover women’s past achievements.
Dir: Jenny Woodley, Christine Bellamy. Prod: Sheffield Film Co-op. 1984.
2. ETHEL MOORHEAD
Ethel Moorhead was the first suffragette to be force-fed in a Scottish prison. She was imprisoned in Calton Jail, Edinburgh, for attempted fire-raising. She was hurriedly released, after developing double pneumonia as a result of being forced to eat. Film-maker Mary Gordon reveals her struggles. She symbolically smashed the glass case to the Wallace Sword in 1912 in the first militant action by any Scottish suffragette. Inspired by the uncompromising example of Scottish freedom-fighter, William Wallace, she wanted to let other women know that if they wanted the vote then they’d have to fight for it.
Dir Mary Gordon. 1995.
3. THE WORK THEY SAY IS MINE
This film celebrates women’s central role in the past and present of Shetland life. Interviews, dramatisation, fantasy, music and songs written and performed by local women are textured and woven together to form a montage of women’s lives as intricate and colourful as the knitting for which the islands are famous. Crofting, fishing and knitting are all part of their lives’ rich tapestry. The film presents and represents the enormous contributions of women to the work, heritage, culture and spirit of the islands.
Dir. Rosie Gibson
Plus!
Over the next few months, Mary Keegan’s ‘Ways of Seeing group’ will be filmed as they look into suffragism and women’s history. The film, to be made by Glenda Rome, will be screened at the National Museum of Scotland.
Ways of Seeing the Suffragettes
A 15 minute film documenting a project exploring issues around women’s suffrage undertaken by the Ways of
Made in association with National Museums Scotland and the Ways of Seeing
Group, City of Edinburgh Council, Community Learning and Development, Forth
Neighbourhood.
Dunfermline Room, National Museums Scotland, Chamber Street
Mid October onwards
New Media Record
We feel it is important that we create a lasting record of the Procession. Gude Cause
filmmakers will therefore be filming and interviewing people throughout the day. Please let our filmmakers know if you don’t want to be filmed.
We would also like to encourage everyone to upload their photos and films of the day and
events associated with Gude Cause to Flickr. Please ensure that you ‘tag’ the images with ‘Gude Cause’ and little bit of information about who is in the images etc. If you are unsure how to upload images please send your images and related information on a cd to the Gude Cause office.
