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You can find all the historical information you never you knew you wanted to know about Granton Trawlers at the remarkably well researched www.grantontrawlers.com
We asked film reviewer Mark Davidson to get on his bike at Botanics and review 'Homegrown' as part of the Take one Action Film Festival.
Mark is a math's teacher and rugby coach who writes film reviews for Reel Scotland and his film blog Observalot. We're delighted to present his guest blog review on Greener Leith.
Image Credit: Mark DavidsonTuesday night saw a rather unique screening of Homegrown in the Botanic Gardens as part of Take One Action Film Festival. The film is a one-hour long documentary about a family in California who aim to be completely self-sufficient by growing as much as they can from less than a quarter acre of land.
In keeping with the sustainability theme, all the electricity for the film was provided by none other than audience members and five bicycles. Volunteers (including myself) got the opportunity to cycle for around 5/10 minutes each, 3 of us powering the generator for the projector, 2 for the sound.
It was in many ways the perfect film to be powered in such a way. As my muscles started to tire and my breathing got deeper from my stint on the bikes, it reminded me of the daily physical hardships of the family on the screen in front of me. The hardships they face as they grew their own vegetables, looked after their own livestock and rigged up their own solar power heating system.
In committing to such a self-sufficient way of life, they rely completely on the weather and the seasons to ensure they have enough to get by. At the start of the film we hear of their joy of eating fresh tomatoes for the first time in months when the season comes, as well as the monotony of having to eat the same vegetable soup six meals in a row.
As you see the depth of the Dervaes family's commitment to being self-sufficient, you cannot help but admire their tenacity, values and determination to live in such a sacrificial way.
Of course, this being a film there has to be conflict, and one of the issues between the father and his three adult children is whether they should put advertising on their website to get extra revenue for the family.
The father, Jules, argues against it, saying it is too easy an option and doesn't feel to be in line with the principle of their homestead. The children argue that they are offering what is essentially a good service which takes time to maintain, why shouldn't they receive something for that?
Despite differences of opinion like this, what really shines through is how committed each of the four family members are to their way of life. The amount of work each of them puts in, and the way they all fulfil their roles within their family unit is almost as awe inspiring as the work they are actually doing.
If there was to be any criticism of the film, it's that it perhaps fail to question whether living as a self-sufficient family is better than living within a self-sufficient community? At the start of the film, it looked as though the Dervaes family were almost completely disconnected from everyone else around them. However, you soon see how they are part of a cooperative, and the film ends with them having plenty of friends round for dinner.
Nevertheless I did wonder if some of the things they did not have, such as flour, milk and rice, could have been achieved if they were part of a wider community of like-minded people? It would have been interesting to hear more about their relationship with people who share their values and live nearby.
Homegrown is a challenging documentary about the way we in the West live our lives at the things we value. Ultimately, in the main, all of us can get by with a roof over our heads and food on our tables. Yet the choices we make everyday as consumers and workers make it easy to lose sight of this. Homegrown is a fitting reminder that we should be thankful for what we do have and challenged to think about how much of it we really need.
I walked to Western Harbour last night to film the terns, I'd enjoyed Colin Brown's guest blog on welcoming the terns back to the forth. I didn’t spot a tern but had a good time filming and thinking.
I wasn’t planning to do anything with the film footage until I read Ally's piece about the memorial benches this afternoon. I was reminded that Newhaven Harbour is a special place for so many people and for so many reasons. I decided to make a film of why Newhaven Harbour was special to me last night, it's all about the wind..... and the sun. I'll explain.
The wind has been raging of late both outside in Edinburgh and inside, in my life. I want it to be calm but it’s unpredictable and scary. Last night I was reminded, sometimes you need to stop looking at the wind, stop listening to the storm and look up, look ahead and see the sun.
That’s what this film is about. I hope you enjoy it.
Last Friday, Leith resident Neil Rolland was one of 100 people who left their homes to sleep rough for one night on the Royal Mile for the Big Sleep Out 2011. Neil made a shelter from cardboard, a film and some money for the Edinburgh homeless as part of the 10th anniversary event organised by the Leith based Bethany Christian Trust.
The fantastic film starts with Neil in his boxers layering up for the evening. He captures the atmosphere of the night along with the people, shelters and bacon baps, all within the time it takes to play the soundtrack of Mumford and Sons, 'The Cave'.
Neil last spoke to Greener Leith about his closet dancing during the strictly final for our Strickly Leith Dancing special. I caught up with Neil once again to find out more about the Big Sleep Out.
Neil, great to speak to you again. So why did you do the Big Sleep Out?
I believe in what Bethany do and how they do it. I think they are a fantastic organisation who are helping people get back on their feet after years of feeling insignificant and broken. I volunteer on a Street Impact team and have developed relationship with people on the streets. Some of these people have become friends and I have seen them go into Bethany programmes and come out the other end filled with hope.
Sleeping rough for one night is hardly a sacrifice in order to raise money and awareness for such a good cause, so as soon as I saw the promotion, I knew I had to do it.
Was it cold?
Not really. All the layers you see me put on in this video I didn't actually need. One pair of jeans was fine and a t-shirt and hoodie. The coldest point was in the morning at around 6am.
What was the best bit?
Getting to know the people I was with was pretty cool. All different ages from 8 to 80, It was a great crowd of folks. You learn a lot about someone when you spend the night sleeping outside with them.
There was also a shelter building competition using cardboard and after a few false starts and what looked like a ramshackle mess, we managed to construct a two bedroom house with a chimney which impressed the judges so much that we were one of the two winners!!
Congratulations, and what's next for you?
Myself and a couple of friends have just started a small film collective called Little City Pictures which is about everyone sharing their talents and collaborating to create films and music videos. We'll take turns around at directing and producing so everyone gets a chance to develop and realise their ideas and that we all learn along the way. It's very exciting as we all have different talents and together we seem to be producing some promising stuff.
That all sounds great. Thanks for talking to us again and for sharing your big sleep out experience with Greener Leith.
To find out more about the Bethany Christian Trust and how you can help click here. You can contribute to Neil's fundraising page here.
This is part 2 of a four part special celebrating the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2011.
Following on from my blog last week #RSPB #BGBW part 1: Give garden birds a go I'm still asking will you join with Greener Leith and half a million others for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2011? If you haven't already read it, just click on the link above to see why you should take part and why garden birds are great. It's a multimedia extravaganza.
Now I'd like to diversify from garden birds and put it to you that birds are a universal unifier, a bit like music or stories. We all have different tastes, you just need to find your bird. There's one out there for you I'm sure.
If you're into horror, super intelligent tool bearing crows peck out lambs eyes. Or there’s the butcher bird who decorates a 'trophy tree' by empaling freshly murdered insects, caterpillars and small mammals on thorns, I'm glad he wasn't decorating my tree this Christmas.
If twilight tales are your twitch there's a bird who's out hunting for fresh blood every night in the cover of darkness. He has a rotating head and if it was the same size as a human head, his eyes would be as big as oranges. Yes, you guessed it, it's the owl. I can't decide if I like little owls or barn owls the best. Such wonderful, mysterious and beautiful birds.
Are stunts and special effects your birdie bag? Well check out a male Osprey throwing fish to his mate mid air. Or a sparrowhawk turning through trees at speed through the forest. Or the Gannets plunge diving at 60mph, shocking!
'Plunge Dive' Emily Dodd 2009
You love musicals? Well, the capercallie’s mating dance is a rare treat and and there are so many great bird singers to appeal to all musical tastes from acid jazz to folk, even drum and bass.
Do ‘geek to chic’ transformations turn you on? If so there's the classic ugly duckling to swan transformation and tribulation.
Is a period drama and a glass of chardonnay your bill? Well there are plenty of illegitimate children (and subsequent murders relating to) the Catherine Cookson cuckcoo so get your beak into that.
Born romantic? Love, actually, is all around with the seabirds. Puffins come back to the same nesting spot, to the same mate, year after year. They tap their beaks together as a kiss, awwww!
We all love real life kick ass monsters. I’m venturing abroad for this one and it's worth it. The secretary bird is a ferocious monster of a bird of prey who runs around on long legs and kills lizards and snakes by stamping on them. You can't say that's not impressive. Just check this out:
I’m sure you have many more birdy stories, please post them on the blog.
Talented Sound Artist Emma Quale is now accompanying me to the park and will be recording and editing a podcast for part 4 (thank you Emma!).
So what’s Next? The RSPB BGBW 3: How birds open doors (on meeting celebrities)
Otter envy with Simon King, presenting puffins to the Queen and a suprise in store with world Gannet expert Brian Nelson.
The RSPB BGBW 4: Doing it in a park for Greener Leith
Here’s where I report on the watch and include your tweets and stories if you’ll join me, please let us know if you're taking part.
I’ve had some polite “birds aren’t really my thing” type responses. Lets hope part 2 will get more people on board. Or if not, Part 3 features the Queen and Boobies so you got to look forward to that....
Described by the Guardian as "the most successful dramatisation of climate change to hit the Big Screen," the Age of Stupid is set to be premiered at 64 different cinemas throughout the UK simultaneously - and one of those venues is Leith!
The film stars Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name of the Father, Usual Suspects) as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking back at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we save ourselves when we had the chance? It was written and directed by Franny Armstrong (McLibel, Drowned Out) and exec-produced by John Battsek (Oscar-winning One Day in September).
The launch event, scheduled for the 15th of March, will feature a live satellite link up to the main 'green carpet' event - a solar powered tent in Leceister Square no less - where Pete Posselthwaite will launch the 'Not Stupid' campaign - designed to put pressure on the politicians set to attend 'the most important meeting in history'.
More information on the premiere, which aims to enter the world record books by involving more than 16,000 people simultanously is available in the press release here. Tickets for the event in the Vue Cinema on Ocean Drive, cost £10 and can be bought on-line here.
If you miss the premiere don't worry. You can still see it later in the month as part of the Take One Action festival at the Edinburgh Filmhouse, where there is a whole programme of events scheduled around the film. We might even go and see it twice...
October 24, 2011 by 
