International Competition

The Closer We Get

Karen Guthrie
Screening time  
23.02. / Tuesday, 14:00 - 16:00 Theatre 5  
27.02. / Saturday, 18:00 - 20:00 Theatre 4  
Director seizes this last chance to go under the skin of the family story before it’s too late.

A powerful and bittersweet portrait of loyalty, broken dreams and redemption told by its director, reluctantly-dutiful daughter Karen, who takes you under the skin of the household she returns to for this long goodbye. Karen’s mother Ann suffers a devastating stroke that brings her daughter back home. But Karen isn’t the only one who comes back to help care for Ann in the crisis: her prodigal father – the endearing yet unfathomable Ian, who’s been separated from Ann for years – also reappears. Reunited so unexpectedly, and armed with her camera, Karen seizes this last chance to go under the skin of the family story before it’s too late, to come to terms with the aftermath of the secret her father had tried and failed to keep from them all.

Karen_guthrie

Karen Guthrie

Director Karen Guthrie met co-producer and Director of Photography Nina Pope whilst students at Edinburgh College of Art and they have since worked together on many creative projects and commissions, winning the first Northern Art Prize in 2007 for their films and installations. Together they founded Somewhere in 2002 and have undertaken art commissions from the likes of Tate Modern and Cambridge University alongside their three feature documentaries: Jaywick Escapes (2012), Living with the Tudors (2007) and Bata-ville: We Are Not Afraid of the Future (2005).

General sponsor

The Closer We Get

Great Britain
2015, 88' 44''

Directed by:
Karen Guthrie

Screenplay by:
Karen Guthrie

Cinematography:
Nina Pope, Karen Guthrie

Edited by:
Alice Powell

Music:
Malcolm Middleton

Producers:
Karen Guthrie, Nina Pope

Produced by:
Somewhere

Festivals & Awards:

Hot Docs 2015 – Best International Feature, Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015 – Best International Feature
Open City Doc Fest 2015 – Best UK Film, Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015, Chicago International Film Festival 2015, Reykjavik International Film Festival 2015, Antenna Documenary Film Festival Sydney 2015, Women Make Waves Film Festival Taiwan 2015, Guth Gafa International Film Festival 2015, Galway Film Festival 2015