Name
Brian Welsh

Born
Falkirk, 10 August 1981

Background
Having left school with what he describes as ‘pitiful formal qualifications’, Welsh worked variously as a waiter, bartender and gas man while developing ideas for films. His interest in telling true stories about real people led Welsh to find work as an editor of documentaries dealing with social issues in Glasgow. From there, he enrolled at the National Film and Television School, where he made his writing and directing debut with the micro-budgeted domestic drama, Kin. A screening of that film at BAFTA impressed executives from UK film distributor and arthouse cinema chain owner Curzon Artificial Eye (CAE) and, as part of the production scheme the company runs in conjunction with the NFTV, they greenlit Welsh’s script In Our Name about a female soldier returning home from Iraq to Newcastle.

What he’s up to now?
Having directed his first feature as a post-graduate, Welsh is currently enjoying promoting In Our Name and is looking forward to beginning work on his next film.

On In Our Name
‘I was moved by stories of soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Obviously, the symptoms are a real stumbling block for soldiers trying to readjust to life in a society that doesn’t understand what it’s like to be at war. With women playing a much more active role in frontline operations I wanted to explore this condition through the eyes of a female soldier. I think because of my background in documentary I look for a very particular type of acting and performance – a totally non-theatrical and naturalistic one. But I like a lot of cinema, Dardenne brothers, early Paul Greengrass, and Nil By Mouth was an important film for me.

Interesting fact
In Our Name is getting a limited traditional cinema release, but it’s also being released as part of CAE’s pioneering download service, Curzon on Demand, the aim of which is to make arthouse films available to UK audiences who do not have access to an arthouse cinema.

In Our Name, available to download now at www.curzoncinemas.com and Cameo, Edinburgh on Thu 16 Dec.