Music graduates Finlay Harrison and Lewis Findlay composed the original soundtrack for ‘A Dairy Story’, which has its UK premiere this weekend.
Two talented Glasgow-based composers are celebrating after the feature-length documentary they scored won the Louis Marcus Award for Best Documentary at IndieCork Film Festival earlier this month.
The film will now have its UK premiere at the Central Scotland Documentary Festival in Stirling on 1st November.
Finlay Harrison, originally from Carnoustie, and Lewis Findlay, originally from Hamilton, met while studying Audio Engineering at Riverside Music College near Glasgow.
The pair composed and performed the original soundtrack for ‘A Dairy Story’, a 78-minute documentary that follows Scottish dairy farmers David and Wilma Finlay as they challenge industry norms by keeping dairy calves with their mothers rather than separating them at birth.
“The response to the score at the Cork premiere was wonderful,” said producer Lorna Young. “In fact, there were several requests for the soundtrack by audience members after the screening. Finlay and Lewis were a joy to work with, and they have created something that beautifully honours the emotional dynamics of the film.”
Both composers were previously members of the band Cloaks, whose track ‘Living with Shadows’ also features in the film’s closing credits. Director Ian Findlay, who had previously directed the music video for Cloaks’ track ‘Headhunter’, approached the pair about creating an original score that would complement the observational style of the documentary.
The entire score was created with a deliberately simple setup, just a keyboard, guitar and a laptop. This stripped-back approach allowed the composers to focus on creating music that served the story, and to respond dynamically as the independently produced film took shape.
“We didn’t have fancy equipment or a big studio, just the essentials, but that simplicity actually helped us create something that felt authentic.” said Lewis Findlay. “It was important to us that the score enhanced the story without overwhelming it.”
Finlay Harrison added: “The process of composing the music was about keeping it rooted in the story. Watching the film alongside the team and chatting about the intent behind each scene gave us a deep understanding of the style of music each scene needed, from sensitive, reflective moments through to energetic and lively sequences.”
The film had its world premiere at The Arc Cinema in Cork, Ireland, on 11th October to a sold-out audience. It competed against nine other documentaries at IndieCork, and the jury said: “As well as being beautifully shot, it displays strong narrative storytelling, a compelling ecological and compassionate message and a heartwarming - and ultimately heartbreaking - human journey.”
The film is now set for its UK premiere at Central Scotland Documentary Festival on Saturday 1st November at 7.45pm at the Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling. Tickets are available from https://www.macrobertartscentre.org/shows/734027ABQDVCMCPPSMSVGJMGCCGCCSQVH
UK Premiere Details:
‘A Dairy Story’
Saturday 1st November, 7.45pm, Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling
Central Scotland Documentary Festival
Tickets: https://www.macrobertartscentre.org/shows/734027ABQDVCMCPPSMSVGJMGCCGCCSQVH
ENDS