10 August 2011
Hollywood star lends support to homeless film project
A Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design graduate has teamed up with Hollywood star Brian Cox to make a series of films raising awareness of the plight of homeless people across the globe.
Scott Davidson came to the attention of Brian, the current Rector of Dundee University, with 'Pressure', a short film that he made with the city’s homeless community as part of his studies at DJCAD last year.
The X-Men and Bourne Identity star was so impressed by the film, which saw the cast of 16 homeless people from Dundee recite the lyrics of the famous Queen-David Bowie song ‘Under Pressure’, that he asked to become part of the project and help extend its reach.
Since then, Scott and Brian have been in regular contact and held meetings to discuss how they can take the project global and make a series of similar films in cities all over the world.
They have chosen London to be the location for the next film, which is to be entitled 'Think' and which will feature the Phil Collins track ‘Another Day in Paradise’. Scott says that, like Pressure, the intention is to create a film that can help people understand the situations that the cast have found themselves in.
'I work with charities and support groups to produce films that are strictly not for profit to be used in their campaigns,' he said. 'The aim is to create films that can help the charity by inspiring people to donate money or give their time. At the very least it will hopefully help people understand more.
'I hope to give insight into understanding a social issue. I have gained so much in the way of opportunity in my life and career, so I try to give back where I can as much as possible. It’s fantastic, and slightly surreal, that Brian has become involved as he is a Holywood legend.
'Brian's involvement is to oversee the progress of the project. I come up with the concept and send it to him, and we work from there based on his feedback. Once every few months, when Brian finds himself in Dundee, we meet up and discuss possible strategies.
'My creative development will benefit through gaining the opportunity to do something I love and hopefully my work with the charity can help inspire people to donate, give their time or at very least understand the issue involved. The message of Pressure was that this is why people may end up living on the streets - the pressure of work, family or life in general.
'The lyrics of Another Day in Paradise are very relevant to the struggles that homeless people face, and there is the line that says 'think twice', which is what we’ll be encouraging people to do with this film.'
Scott has joined forces with the charity Open Cinema and 11 women who are in support services will recite the lyrics of the song in spoken word. He says he hopes that Amsterdam will be the next city where he takes the project, and that he is keen to link up with charities across the globe to help them in their efforts.
Filming will take place in London later this year.
More information about Scott’s work is available by visiting www.vimeo.com/nipotefilm.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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