Nick Higgins / UK / 2013 / 98 min
The most popular film about Scotland in recent memory is probably Disney and Pixar’s Brave, which as a children’s animation, gave a somewhat warped depiction of the Scottish ancestral heritage. The new documentary We Are Northern Lights however is an altogether different kettle of fish. Lead by Creative Director Nick Higgins, We Are Northern Lights is Scotland’s first collaborative documentary, meaning this fresh concept is made up entirely of footage submitted by the Scottish public. From 20th March – 21st June 2012, Higgins and his team set about collecting video clips of things that held meaning for the individual operating the camera. By using workshops around Scotland and an online video showing how to submit your work to make sure they’d get a variety of interests, they netted more than 1500 submissions totalling in over 300 hours of film. The team have now edited this into the 98 minute finished product giving an incisive view into the lives of ordinary Scots. The online teaser clip intimates the production to be an exceedingly intriguing project with beekeepers to ballroom dancing pensioners represented in this cross-section of Scotland’s population. The film is currently on a tour of Scotland and will be visiting Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling, Inverness, Dundee and Dumfries.