FILM: Tomorrow Is Always Too Long

Phil Collins, Tomorrow Is Always Too Long
UK/DE 2014, 82 min.
Courtesy Shady Lane Productions, Berlin

Born from a year-long collaboration with communities and public institutions across Glasgow, this documentary musical is an intoxicating love letter to Scotland’s largest city. Interspersed amongst Paul Robeson’s 1960 May Day visit, X-rated silhouette animations, impromptu broadcasts from a disused TV studio, and a pulsing electronic soundtrack, Glaswegians from all walks of life perform the songs of Welsh pop auteure Cate Le Bon, with a symphonic accompaniment from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Switching between genres and visual styles with conviction and ease, Tomorrow Is Always Too Long defies classification to summon the riotous and tender poetry of the everyday.

Featuring a captivating ‘special guest’ turn by the one and only Kate Dickie, Tomorrow Is Always Too Long combines cinematography by renowned DoP Michael McDonough (Winter’s Bone, Sunset Song), an original soundtrack by Barry Burns (Mogwai) and intricate hand-crafted animation by Matthew Robins. Commissioned by The Common Guild, it was first presented as a large-scale outdoor screening in Queen’s Park as part of the Festival 2014 Cultural Programme. Since then, it has been shown at numerous exhibition venues and international film festivals, and in 2015 it received the Audience Award at Kino der Kunst in Munich.

Showing as part of ARA DEG 25 programme. Free for Weekend ticket holders.