Monday 15 June 2015

THE CLOSER WE GET

“A beautifully rendered and ultimately heart-breaking reminder that there is no such thing as an ordinary life.” Alison Rowat THE HERALD

Winner of International Documentary Award - HOTDOCS 2015
Directed by Karen Guthrie

In UK Cinemas September 2015



This is a powerful and bittersweet portrait of loyalty, broken dreams and redemption told by its director, reluctantly-dutiful daughter Karen, who takes you under the skin of the household she returns to for this long goodbye.

Karen’s mother Ann suffers a devastating stroke that brings her daughter back home. But Karen isn’t the only one who comes back to help care for Ann in the crisis: Her prodigal father - the endearing yet unfathomable Ian, who’s been separated from Ann for years - also reappears. 

Reunited so unexpectedly, and armed with her camera, Karen seizes this last chance to go under the skin of the family story before it’s too late, to come to terms with the aftermath of the secret her father had tried - and failed - to keep from them all, and to find that Ann’s stroke has in fact thrown them all a life raft.

With candour, warmth and much unexpected humour, Karen’s role as family confidante, busybody, therapist and spy brings to life both an extraordinary story and a profound portrait of family survival.


Karen was raised on the West coast of Scotland and now lives on a smallholding in the rural Lake District (North West England). She met co-producer and Director of Photography Nina Pope whilst students at Edinburgh College of Art and they have since worked together on many creative projects and commissions, winning the first Northern Art Prize in 2007 for their films and installations. 

Together they founded Somewhere in 2002 and have undertaken art commissions from the likes of Tate Modern and Cambridge University alongside their three feature documentaries:Jaywick Escapes (2012)
Living with the Tudors (2007)
Bata-ville: We Are Not Afraid of the Future (2005)

These have screened at many festivals including Edinburgh International Film Festival, SXSW & Sheffield Doc Fest. 

Alongside her films, Karen continues to work as an artist on diverse projects including a recent commission for Hauser & Wirth. Somerset. The Closer We Get is Karen’s solo directorial debut.

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