Margaret Tait Movies

In 1990s Edinburgh, Barbara Thorburn reflects on memories of her poet mother, Greta, and her tragic death.

Genre: Drama

Cast: Celia Imrie

A portrait of poet Hugh MacDiarmid.

Genre: Documentary

Cast: Hugh MacDiarmid

Brightly coloured animated figures dance to the traditional tune 'John MacFadyen', as played by the Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society in this hand...

Genre: Animation

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Another early experiment in portraiture from Tait. In filming her mother she asks the wider question of how much the camera can reveal of the person.

Genre: Documentary

Cast: Margaret Tait

"Starting with a six-line script which just noted down a kind of event to occur, and recur, my aim was to construct a film with its own logic, its...

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"Starting with a six-line script which just noted down a kind of event to occur, and recur, my aim was to construct a film with its own logic, its...

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"Touches on elemental images; air, water, (and snow), earth and fire (and smoke) all come into it." - MT

Genre: Documentary

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'Titles within the film are: Numen of the Boughs, Old Boots, Speed Bonny Boat, Lapping Water, Incense, Aha, Brave New World, Things, Terra Firma. A...

Genre: Drama

Cast: Margaret Tait

Margaret Tait documents her house, studio and garden in Buttquoy, Orkney as the seasons pass. She had lived there from the age of seven and often...

Genre: Documentary

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Margaret Tait described this title as 'An eightsome reel played by Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society, recorded in about 1955 - 1956, later...

Genre: Animation

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An experimental piece of film-making by Margaret Tait, featuring three children at play in a burn and garden, splashing and having fun playing with...

Genre: Documentary

Cast: Paul Tait

The streets of Kirkwall, Orkney come to a standstill as the "Down the Gates" and the "Up the Gates" battle it out in this traditional Norse ball...

Genre: Documentary

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Hand painted directly onto film stock by Margaret Tait, this film features animated dancing figures, accompanied by authentic calypso music.

Genre: Animation

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"The film was conceived as a coda to a longer (colour) film, Place of Work, made in the same year. It covers the time of finally emptying a long-time...

Genre: Documentary

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"This is a landscape study of an Orkney croft, with the figure of the crofter, Mary Graham Sinclair, very much in the picture. The croft is West...

Genre: Documentary

Cast: Mary Graham Sinclair

The three portrait sketches of the title are called 'Claudia', 'Fernando Birri' and 'Saulat Rahman'. Presumably made when Margaret Tait was a student...

Genre: History

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The three portrait sketches of the title are called 'Claudia', 'Fernando Birri' and 'Saulat Rahman'. Presumably made when Margaret Tait was a student...

Genre: History

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The three portrait sketches of the title are called 'Claudia', 'Fernando Birri' and 'Saulat Rahman'. Presumably made when Margaret Tait was a student...

Genre: History

Cast:

General views of Edinburgh Royal Mile and Princes Street.

Genre: Documentary

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General shots of Edinburgh City Centre taken by film-maker Margaret Tait, focussing on the Royal Mile, Holyrood House and Princes Street Gardens.

Genre: Documentary

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A set of three 'film poems' composed around the theme of the garden - the central one featuring hand scratched animated drawings. Margaret Tait...

Genre: Documentary

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A film interpretation of the poem 'The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo' by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Margaret Tait speaks the poem throughout the film.

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Cast: Margaret Tait

Views in and around Kirkwall concentrating on things that have changed. These include a new grammar school building, model yachting on the Peedie...

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Margaret Tait's impression of the interior of her studio premises in Rose Street, Edinburgh. The film consists of slow pans around her studio...

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Part 3 of Margaret Tait's 'Aspects of Kirkwall', covering special events in the town. These include the Orkney Agricultural Society County Show, boat...

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Perugia and its Italian University for foreign students.

Genre: Documentary

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Second of the 'Aspects of Kirkwall' films about the changing face of Kirkwall over the years. Filmed in 1974, it features the primary school, various...

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A tour around Kirkwall, covering the years 1969 - 1976. Places featured include St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall harbour, Victoria St, Broad St,...

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Starting from its source, this film tells the story of the Orquil Burn, Orkney.

Genre: Documentary

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Excavation of the Broch at Bu of Cairston by John Hedges in 1978. The broch is located in Stromness, Orkney.

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A palindrome created on film. Features interaction between a couple with the recurring line 'Madam I'm Adam'.

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Cast: Ron Conway

A series of interiors exploring the work of various businesses - presumably in Kirkwall.

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The minutiae of daily life on Edinburgh's Rose Street in the fifties is presented in this impressionistic documentary piece.

Genre: Documentary

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A short piece of film recording general views of Edinburgh's Royal Mile in the 1950s.

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The first in a series of films for the Rural Cinema Scheme in the Orkneys, it records the return to the island of Wyre of Neil Flaws, a farmer, and...

Genre: Documentary

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A short piece of film recording general views of Edinburgh's Princes Street in the 1950s.

Genre: Documentary

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Margaret Tait documents her house, studio and garden in Buttquoy, Orkney as the seasons pass. She had lived there from the age of seven and often...

Genre: Documentary

Cast:

Margaret Tait documents her house, studio and garden in Buttquoy, Orkney as the seasons pass. She had lived there from the age of seven and often...

Genre: Documentary

Cast:

Margaret Tait documents her house, studio and garden in Buttquoy, Orkney as the seasons pass. She had lived there from the age of seven and often...

Genre: Documentary

Cast:

Every time the task of drawing a circle is performed, it results in a unique shape, a slightly different 'version' than the previous and next...

Genre: Documentary

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A picture of East Sutherland in 1966.

Genre: Documentary

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This film poem evokes childhood happiness on the island of Orkney. Footage includes wildflower meadows, toddlers playing in garden, friends fishing...

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Interiors of Margaret Tait's room when she stayed at 21 Via Ancona, Rome, Italy. Brief shots of her belongings (shoes, films, teacup) and then views...

Genre: Documentary

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Chinese Geese in Orkney.

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"Carlo and Rafaella are going to Rome for the first time. They have specially planned a journey they must make so that they can have a whole day...

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Cast: Raffaella Carlo

Affectionate observational shots of toddlers, school age girl and very new baby.

Genre: Documentary

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Poles, presumably to be used to carry electricity wires, are seen being carried over a wintry landscape by helicopter in Sandwick, Orkney.

Genre: Documentary

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"The film was conceived as a coda to a longer (colour) film, Place of Work, made in the same year. It covers the time of finally emptying a long-time...

Genre: Documentary

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In 1990s Edinburgh, Barbara Thorburn reflects on memories of her poet mother, Greta, and her tragic death.

Genre: Drama

Cast: Celia Imrie

"Made in Edinburghs Rose Street, On the Mountain incorporates the whole of a previous film (Rose Street, 1956), including the leader and the titles....

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Views of some of the main pavilions and exhibits of the Empire Exhibition in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, including shots of Don and margaret...

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The minutiae of daily life on Edinburgh's Rose Street in the fifties is presented in this impressionistic documentary piece.

Genre: Documentary

Cast:

The minutiae of daily life on Edinburgh's Rose Street in the fifties is presented in this impressionistic documentary piece.

Genre: Documentary

Cast:

The minutiae of daily life on Edinburgh's Rose Street in the fifties is presented in this impressionistic documentary piece.

Genre: Documentary

Cast:

Another early experiment in portraiture from Tait. In filming her mother she asks the wider question of how much the camera can reveal of the person.

Genre: Documentary

Cast: Margaret Tait

Another early experiment in portraiture from Tait. In filming her mother she asks the wider question of how much the camera can reveal of the person.

Genre: Documentary

Cast: Margaret Tait

Another early experiment in portraiture from Tait. In filming her mother she asks the wider question of how much the camera can reveal of the person.

Genre: Documentary

Cast: Margaret Tait

Another early experiment in portraiture from Tait. In filming her mother she asks the wider question of how much the camera can reveal of the person.

Genre: Documentary

Cast: Margaret Tait

Scenes in and around the old city of Perugia in Umbria, Italy. Kodachrome

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Young women in Milan, rooftops and children. One of the women is possibly Margaret Tait. [shotlisted from MiniDV] gvs Milan main square, bustling...

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Film seems to tackle frustrations in communication in the relationship between two men and a woman, which are resolved in the end? Shot in Kirkwall...

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Cast: Helen Ola Gorie

Film seems to tackle frustrations in communication in the relationship between two men and a woman, which are resolved in the end? Shot in Kirkwall...

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Cast: Helen Ola Gorie

Footage of a yacht race and a (Highland?) Show in Kirkwall, as filmed by Margaret Tait. [this is possibly incomplete footage from her 'Aspects of...

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Unedited slates from a film called 'Survivor' filmed by Margaret Tait. Footage includes outdoor landscape and garden scenes, a fire burning in field...

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