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| Everybody To Kenmure Street Photo: Courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival |
BAFTA-winning Glasgow-based director Felipe Bustos Sierra’s documentary explores one of Scotland’s most spontaneous and successful acts of civil resistance in recent memory. In May 2021, a UK Home Office dawn raid in the Glasgow district of Pollokshields, one of Scotland’s most diverse neighbourhoods, prompted residents to rush to the streets to stop the deportation of their neighbours.
As word spread in the early morning of what was Eid celebrations for many locals, a handful of protestors swelled to hundreds of people, flooding Kenmure Street and making it impassable to the immigration enforcement van. The eight-hour stand-off made international headlines as the community organised itself in an extraordinary act of peaceful solidarity.
Executive Produced by Emma Thompson, Everybody To Kenmure Street, which will have its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival paints a multifaceted picture of one of the most memorable moments in Glasgow’s recent history. The film uses crowd-sourced footage from the day along with archive film and set-designed scenes captured by cinematographer Kirstin McMahon featuring actors relaying verbatim the testimonies of contributors who wished to remain anonymous.
Felipe Bustos Sierra said: "This film is a snapshot of a day, of a neighbourhood, and of gestures repeated through time, for the right to have a voice and to live in peace. Glasgow's long history of civil disobedience and meaningful change has been a barometer throughout the making of this film. I cannot wait to watch it at the GFT with its hometown audience, for whom we can only hope it'll be a joyful reminder of what a beacon they can be in uncertain times."
Paul Gallagher, Head of Programme for Glasgow Film Festival, said: “I’m delighted that Felipe Bustos Sierra will be returning to GFF to open our festival with this hugely inspiring film. Everybody to Kenmure Street tells a story that is pertinent for the whole world right now, focusing on a very specific moment in Glasgow’s recent past to offer a deeply moving vision of community action and resistance to injustice. With this film Felipe has captured an essential aspect of Glasgow’s people-loving heart; I can’t wait to share his vision with the world.”
GFF26 will close with the Gala UK Premiere of James McAvoy’s directorial debut California Schemin’ on 8 March, making it the second year in a row that Scotland’s largest film festival has opened and closed with a Scottish feature film, following GFF25’s World Premieres of Tornado and Make It To Munich.
Tickets for both opening and closing galas will go on sale 10am Monday 19 January at glasgowfilm.org and the full programme will be announced on 21 January.
