AL Time! New Interview, Plus Photos from his charity walk

What time is it? Time for some more goodness in the form of another new interview from Sigma's own ALASTAIR MACKENZIE. As noted a couple days ag on the FB page/Twitter, the fine folks at the Edinburgh International Film Festival released a couple of new interviews relating to "Perfect Sense." One was this interview with Sigma co found and actor Alastair who gave us some thoughts on working with his director brother David, and their two most recent collaborations: Perfect Sense and You Instead. Key highlights:

On deciding to do an offbeat story like Perfect Sense: “It was sparse but that was a virtue. All the elements that are in the film were in the script. It’s been embellished a little – there’s more coverage of the global nature of the pandemic – but the actual script we first read was so powerful and so affecting, when they asked my opinion, my input was: “let’s do it.”’

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The setting was essential in developing the film’s balance of global and personal themes, with the added implication of Glagow’s status as a dynamic, cosmopolitan centre: “The script was non-specific and we decided to set it in Glasgow because we wanted it to be a contained story. That this story happens in Glasgow is indicative of Glasgow as a happening place.”

It was at the Glasgow Film Festival that they premiered upcoming release, You Instead, a production that was much more “free-form,” influencing future filmmaking: “Our pipeline is full of ideas that we wouldn’t have had if we hadn’t done You Instead. It was an experiment that worked.”

“We shifted the business model a little. And I think for David in particular, the way he has to direct – he was very enlivened by the process. I was also very enlivened because filmmaking for an actor, if you’re not careful, can be stultifying. It was liberating in terms of the films we can make.”

Another ‘good story’ is that of the relationship between the Mackenzies and EIFF: “For years my brother Dave and I came to the film festival as aspirant filmmakers. This is where we started in the industry, our friends, who we made hanging out at the film festival, are people we work with now. That’s authentic, people who are authentically interested in film, and years later we’re lucky enough to be able to exist within that world. It’s nurtured me. If I could define my cultural identity, a very large chunk of it comes from Edinburgh and the festival.”

Followup: Earlier we learned that Al took part in a bike & hike charity event, benefiting Maggies Centres and those battling cancer . Al has spoken about the success of the event, saying:

‘I was invited by my good friend Robyn to take part in this event. I thought it was a great chance to give something back to Maggie’s, a charity that has really helped to support my friends as they deal with the effects of a diagnosis of cancer and the subsequent impact it had on their lives. Monster has been marvellous, great people, amazing scenery and a good challenge with distances for everyone. I’d encourage everyone to sign up for Monster in 2012.’ The group has also released photos from that event and we can see some new photos of Al and his team here, plus please consider a helping donation if you can right here at Al's official just giving page.