Our editor Gerard Hall was part of the assessment panel for a new Pink Saltire project “The History of Pride in Scotland” . A short film funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland. The person commissioned to make this was Lisa Emily Petersen here we talk to her about the film.
Tell us about the commission you won for making a documentary about Scottish pride history?
A few months ago, Pink Saltire invited me to pitch for a documentary about the history of pride in Scotland. I was drawn to the historical nature of the project and the opportunity to work with archive material. I was over the moon to have won the commission after two rounds of pitches.
In the documentary, the story of Scottish pride marches is told by many different voices; from Laura and Doogie who organised the first official pride in Edinburgh in 1995 through to representatives of rural pride events that have blossomed in the past couple of years. You’ll also hear from attendees and charity representatives. We celebrate the legislative successes we’ve had along the way and look at what we’re still fighting to change in society.
So you’re looking for people's stories about their experiences at pride?
We’re moving into post-production so I only have a couple interviews left. By the time I wrap the shoot, I’ll have interviewed over twenty people. It’s been amazing to hear people’s stories and I've felt really honoured when someone opens up about personal experiences.
Just as important as oral accounts, I am looking for people’s photos and videos to make history come to life. So, if anyone wants to get in contact with images, I’d be very grateful.
Do you think looking from the outside in will give you a clearer view of the history of Scottish prides?
I am originally from Denmark and I lived in Scotland for four years during my film degree. I think it’s been positive that I understand enough of Scottish culture and history to get by but not specifically a lot about Scottish LGBTQIA+ history. I’ve loved learning more and more every day on this project and building up my understanding.
I approached the film from the standpoint that a lot of viewers probably will be in a similar position to me (after all, schools have only just started teaching LGBTQIA+ history). It's been my experience with interviews that when I pretend like I know a little less than I actually do, people are quite willing to educate me in a warm way that I think will translate well on screen. It’s less like a lecture and more of a friendly “let me tell you all about this!”
When do you hope the film will be ready for the public to see it?
By September! Pink Saltire will show parts of the documentary as part of a travelling exhibition, and we might be showing it at a couple LGBTQIA+ film festivals. It will of course be put up for free on YouTube or Vimeo as well.
How do you think your upbringing has influenced your oeuvre as a whole?
I grew up in a family that was creative, but where no one worked in the creative industries (my dad is a mayor in the Danish army and my mum works in a library). In their own ways, my parents always emphasised of curiosity and creative thinking. That curiosity drives me to this day, especially when I do interview- or research-led projects. And creative thinking is useful because filmmaking requires a lot of adaptability and firefighting.
What made you pursue filmmaking?
I love creating stories and I want to create stories for the rest of my life, it’s as simple as that. For me, the best medium is moving images and people have to be at the centre of the storytelling. In a way, it came effortlessly to me. I bought my first camera when I was about thirteen years old and it didn’t take long for me to favour the video function over still photography. I made countless short films and sketches and music videos throughout my teenage years (way more than I do now). I think I love it because I get to work with other people - filmmaking is always better in a team.
Had I been wired slightly differently, maybe I would have landed up telling stories through poetry or sculpture or music, but not this lifetime.
The biggest roadblock has been the fact that I don’t have family to live with in the UK. I graduated from university during the pandemic (which was a roadblock in itself) and took on live-in jobs to be able to live cheaply and save up money to do unpaid film internships. For me, a good chunk of 2020 was spent picking strawberries or waitressing at a hotel. When I wasn’t working, I spent time contacting production companies. This paid off when in autumn and winter 2020 I completed two internships with documentary production companies, both of which were great learning experiences.
Considering how affordable and readily available camera technology is today, anyone can make a film. And I honestly believe that one can learn as much about filmmaking from YouTube as in a film degree (without writing any essays!). However, I do think that the critique you get when presenting work to your tutors at university is invaluable - you’re constantly learning from your mistakes. It also helps to be in a bubble of like-minded people.
Which film has inspired you the most?
I find this hard to pin down and I’m tempted to say something like The Hurt Locker because I remember watching it in school and it made me want to make films. Prior to that I was convinced I would become a marine biologist, although I think I was more into acting than filming for a little while. And it’s inspiring because Kathryn Bigelow of course was the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director.
Which particular film maker has influenced you the most?
When I was younger my answer would have been Wes Anderson. Not in terms of emulating his style, I was just in awe of how he was doing things that were so different to anything I’d ever seen. Nowadays I draw influence from a lot of different sources and not one particular creator.
If you got the opportunity to remake a classic, which one would you go for?
Frankenstein or Casablanca. But Casablanca would never need a remake so let’s go with Frankenstein. There’s so many delicious layers to the book and after seeing National Theatre Live’s stage version I am even more drawn to the characters and their complexities.
Can you tell us more about your upcoming project(s)?
After this project I will be focusing on playwriting and short form documentary. I’ve been low key working on a short observational documentary about my boyfriend’s quest to beat the Guinness world record for the 1-mile sack race. For the longest while it was a joke, but I’m getting quite into it.
What’s your fav moment of a pride you been to?
My experiences of pride have been through my phone screen seeing my friend’s Snapchats and Instagram stories because I was ill the one year I could go. So, my favourite moment will be next June when I can hopefully attend my first pride!