About the Project
Made over the course of 2023, Different Ways was a filmmaking project based in North Ayrshire that has worked with a group of young people who have not long lived in Scotland. The result of the project is a short film commenting on some of the issues a young person can face living somewhere new.
The project was produced by Vertex Visions in partnership with North Ayrshire Council and funded by The Ayrshire Community Trust. The project was directed by local filmmaker Max McGregor, a member of Vertex along with Lucy Russell.
The project worked with young people from a range of different backgrounds who had never made films before, and saw them carry out all roles of production, from writing, to acting, to editing. A short documentary showcasing the development of this project and the huge impact it has had to young people in the local area was also produced and can be viewed below.
The film was screened in the Harbour Arts Centre in January, and has been very strongly received. It is to be shown at the Scottish Refugee Festival in June along with submissions to various film festivals. In wake of the project, the team plan on developing another this year, to expand their work and reach more people.
Articles
A Review of the Premiere Screening by Carol Wark
"It was a truly inspiring offering, displaying the multifaceted talents of both local young people and of amazingly articulate Ukrainian youths, now living in the area as a result of the Russian invasion of their homeland. It was delightful to see how such a disparate group have very obviously become true friends - an achievement brought about by their collaboration in the making of Max’s film.
The filming, directed by Max, was brilliant, capturing just how easy it is for us to form misconceptions about other people, particularly when they are ‘different.’ We were treated to beautiful scenes of the west coast of Scotland and, as the film reached its conclusion, the message was clear : we all depend on one another and it was heart warming to see the role-reversal when the ‘native’ Scots were forced to rely on the good sense of the ‘foreigner’ to help them to safety!
The film was followed by an excellent ‘behind the scenes’ documentary, giving us a glimpse of just how collaborative the whole project had been. Everyone mucked in - helping with the script, the acting, the sound - and so much more. It was a real joy to observe the genuine fun they were all having and to see just how much cooperation was involved.
All in all, it was an excellent evening and I, for one, cannot wait for their next venture! Well done Max and the entire crew!"
