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James Scott

James Scott
Forename/s: 
James
Family name: 
Scott
Work area/craft/role: 
independent cinema
Artist
Industry: 
Film
Websites: 
Wikipedia
Interview Number: 
631
Interview Date(s): 
29 Nov 2011
Interviewer/s: 
Will Fowler
Production Media: 
Video
Duration (mins): 
82
Access Restriction: 
No consent/release form received. Check with BEHP Secretary before reuse

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Interview
Transcript
Biographical

Born: 1941, UK IFFR+2JAMES SCOTT+2
Parents: Son of the British artist William Scott. IFFR+1
Education:

  • Studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London — painting and theatre design. JAMES SCOTT+1

  • Early interest in filmmaking and photography during his student years. JAMES SCOTT+1

James Scott is associated with independent, art, and experimental cinema. His work often blurs lines between documentary, narrative, and art film, with a strong interest in political and aesthetic issues. JAMES SCOTT+2IFFR+2

Some key aspects:

  • Art Documentaries: Early in his career, he directed documentaries about artists such as David Hockney, R. B. Kitaj, Richard Hamilton, Claes Oldenburg, Antoni Tàpies. JAMES SCOTT+3Wikipedia+3JAMES SCOTT+3

  • Political / Collective Filmmaking: Co-founder of the Berwick Street Film Collective, working in politically engaged cinema, e.g. Nightcleaners. Wikipedia+2JAMES SCOTT+2

  • Experimental Narrative: Films mixing forms. Example: Adult Fun (1972) which plays with spy-thriller tropes, fantasy, documentary-like interviews. Use of non-actors, stylized blending of documentary and fiction. JAMES SCOTT+2JAMES SCOTT+2

  • Short Film Success: A Shocking Accident (1982) won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 1983. Wikipedia+2JAMES SCOTT+2

Key Works / Filmography

Some of his more notable works include:

Year Title Type / Notes
1962 The Rocking Horse Short; student film, early narrative. JAMES SCOTT+1
Late 1960s Love’s Presentation, RB Kitaj, Richard Hamilton Artist documentaries. Wikipedia+2JAMES SCOTT+2
1971-1976 The Great Ice Cream Robbery, Coilin and Platonida Experimental or art documentary work; non-professional actors in some. Wikipedia+2JAMES SCOTT+2
1974 Nightcleaners (Part 1) Political/documentary; group work via Berwick Street Film Collective. Wikipedia+1
1982 A Shocking Accident Short; Oscar winner. Wikipedia+2JAMES SCOTT+2
1984 Every Picture Tells a Story About his father, the painter William Scott. Aesthetica Magazine+3Wikipedia+3JAMES SCOTT+3
1990 Strike It Rich Feature film; more mainstream narrative. IFFR+1
2002 The Last of England (short) IFFR  
2017 Vanishing Point (doc, short) Filmed on his iPhone. IFFR+1
2020 Fragments (short) IFFR+1  

Themes and Importance

  • Exploration of alienation, both socially and artistically. Many works engage with class, identity, the role of art in society. JAMES SCOTT+2JAMES SCOTT+2

  • Formal experimentation: blending documentary, non-fiction, fiction; use of non-actors; stylistic multiple projections; challenging norms of narrative film. JAMES SCOTT+3JAMES SCOTT+3IFFR+3

  • Political engagement: working with collectives; addressing labour, social justice, invisibility of certain social groups. Wikipedia+1