Glasgow filmmakers planning 'Glasgow take on Paris Je T'aime'

Back in 2007, some of the world’s greatest filmmakers (including Alfonso Cuaron, Walter Salles and the Coen brothers) came together to make Paris, Je T'aime, a paean to the City of Love which took the form of 18 short films shot in some of the most famous neighbourhoods and locations in Paris. Now there is talk of Glasgow getting its own indie version, made by some of the city's emerging filmmakers.

Filmmaker Hans Lucas and Scottish BAFTA-nominated composer and Teenage Fanclub drummer Francis Macdonald have proposed the project, and while the glossy Paris, Je T'Aime is the inspiration, they insist their more modest approach will have “a healthy dose of Glaswegian swagger and self-deprecation.”

The plan, originally proposed by Macdonald, is delicious. “Rather than struggling to make a feature film, our concept was to use the Glasgow subway map as a conceptual starting point for a portmanteau portrait of the city,” explains Lucas. That’s 15 subway stops, each of which will be the inspiration for a five minute short. “By decentralising production and working collectively, the goals of production become exponential,” says Lucas. “The project is designed to galvanise all the creative forces in Glasgow's independent filmmaking community.”

Lucas describes the proposed feature as a way of showcasing the wealth of independent filmmaking happening in and around Glasgow. “Some of our filmmakers are award-winning, and their short films are distributed commercially,” he says, “but in general support for independent or emerging filmmakers is virtually non-existent.” This, he suggests is part of Scotland's wider ‘crisis of production’, which has been noted before by Glasgow University’s David Archibald.

The film is at a very early stage, but elements seem to be falling into place. Glasgow Short Film Festival director Matt Lloyd is on board as a producer, and filmmaker Trisha Fuller has agreed to supervise post-production; Glasgow-based filmmakers like Zam Salim and Dave Brown have also shown an interest in helping in advisory capacities. Glasgow Film Festival, meanwhile, have also thrown its support behind the project, and a premiere at the 2019 edition of the festival has been proposed.

We’re excited to see how this tantalising project moves forward. To keep up to date with the progress and for more information, keep an eye of the Glasgow, Je T’amie Facebook page at facebook.com/glasgowjetaime