Documentary | 01 January 1997

Edinburgh’s Beltane fire festival is the spectacular recreation of a pagan celebration. Crowds of thousands watch the procession around Calton Hill, in the heart of the city, held annually on the eve of May Day. I didn’t get enough material at the first attempt so I went back the following year when I was more competent with the camera and less shy. It is a simplified, partial record of the event, squeezed into a 6 minute impression. This reworking echoes the reimagination of the ancient ritual. The film is a reconstruction of a reconstruction.