Blue Black Permanent (1992)

Blue Black Permanent: Directed by Margaret Tait. With Celia Imrie, Jack Shepherd, Gerda Stevenson, James Fleet. Barbara Thorburn wiles away the hours with memories of Greta, her mother, the poet.

“The film deals with relationships between three generations in Edinburgh and Orkney. It is partly about the familiar problem of trying to reconstruct what people thought when it is too late to ask them. Much of the film is presented in a matter of fact way, but some of the issues left open will make you think about them long after you have seen the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe main professional actors in the cast have enjoyed active careers in theatre, radio and television in the UK. The Orkney photography and characters, probably played by local people, are sufficient reasons in themselves to see the film. If you do not know the director Margaret Tait, try to guess her biography from the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is only the lack of comments from other people that has made me write about a film I have seen only twice, most recently about two years ago in Edinburgh. Some of the audience applauded at the end, which does not happen often here. Perhaps they were visitors being polite about the Edinburgh setting. This may not be a great film, but it is a good film with several images I shall always remember. I have not gone near a sea-cave since.”