Scottish cinema

Hello everyone! Previously, we have spoken about some famous actors and we have seen that Scotland has also been the birthplace of many film directors.

So, in this article, I will present you a little bit of the history of the cinema in Scotland.

It’s during the First World War that the cinema appeared in Scotland.

Before the arrival of the cinema, the music hall was an entertainment place particularly appreciated by the Scottish people. In fact in 1917, there were more than hundred projecting rooms in Glasgow.

Then, in 1927 the Green’s playhouse, an entertainment complex, was built in Glasgow, it was at this period the most important European cinema. The complex included a cinema, ballroom and tea rooms. It had been designed by the architect John Fairweather and built by the Cinema Building Company. However, because of the decline in audience numbers, the Green playhouse had to diversify in a music venue until the closure in 1973.

Green’s playhouse

Scotland is also famous for its festival: The Edinburgh International Film Festival.

It’s an annual fortnight of cinema screenings and related events which takes place each June.

It has been presented in 1947 by the Edinburgh Film Guid, and it's the world's oldest continually running film festival.

This festival presents UK and international films in all genres and lengths.

Cinema takes an important place in Scottish culture, and we can say that the history of Scotland has inspired many film directors, such as Mel Gibson with the film Braveheart.

Moreover, Scottish places have been the scene of different movies such as The 39 Steps directed by Alfred Hitchcock, in which we can see the Forth Bridge and Glen Coe, two important places in Scotland.

Eloïse Monel