Haud Close Tae Me

A short dance film examining the connection between our younger and older selves. A duet between a professional ballerina and a 65-year-old dancer. The film is inspired by a specially commissioned poem by Scotland's Makar Jackie Kay, who narrates the poem in Scots-English.

  • Eve McConnachie
    Director
    Maze, The Bird
  • Charlotte Gross
    Producer
    Maze, The Bird
  • Mia Thompson
    Key Cast
  • Jill Ferguson
    Key Cast
  • Jackie Kay
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Music Video
  • Genres:
    Dance, Ballet
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 27 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 10, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    6,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Eve McConnachie

Eve McConnachie’s previous creations include the short screendance trilogy ‘Healah Dancing’, which was screened as an installation at Edinburgh International Festival 2013, and subsequently selected for DANCE:FILM Festival 2013 and Dance on Camera 2014, NY; ‘The Bird’ music video for SAY Award-winner Kathryn Joseph which was selected for the New Shorts Music & Video strand at London Short Film Festival 2016; ‘Maze’ which premiered at Glasgow Short Film Festival 2016 and was selected for Encounters Film Festival, Underwire Festival where McConnachie was nominated for Best Editing and Best Cinematography, Leeds International Film Festival and San Francisco Dance Film Festival where ‘Maze’ won Best Screendance Short Under 10 Minutes. In 2017 McConnachie directed ‘Haud Close Tae Me', a short film examining the connection between our younger and older selves through dance and poetry.

McConnachie joined Scottish Ballet as in-house graphic designer and filmmaker in 2009. She creates a wide range of films for Scottish Ballet, including behind-the-scenes documentaries, trailers and creative screendance films.

Before becoming a graphic designer and film-maker, McConnachie studied Animation at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee.

More of Eve McConnachie’s work can be seen at www.evemcconnachie.co.uk.

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Director Statement

The inspiration for Haud Close Tae Me is a poem by Jackie Kay in which two voices tenderly address each other – a mature voice in conversation with her younger self. It is not a lament over times past, but is instead an exploration of the connection between our younger and older selves – what it lost and what is gained with the passage of time.

The two voices address each other in turn – it is not made explicitly clear which voice belongs to which – a duality and balance reflected in the duet. The film reflects upon the memories that a body carries with it, physical memory and muscle memory. Perhaps there is a loss of agility with age, but each movement speaks volumes because of the history and poignancy contained within each gesture.

I drew on my own childhood memories of my grandmother through intimate close-ups – the twist of a hand, glimpse of a cheek, the flutter of an eyelash. Texture was a key motif: the character of skin and cloth against exposed brick and wood.

For me, Haud Close Tae Me is about the different stages of womanhood, made more resonant because I was on the cusp of becoming a mother and so making the transition to a different stage of life. The film is a celebration of our endless capacity to embrace what comes next.