A collaborative artistic film that pays homage to Scotland’s untold Black history, and celebrates Black excellence and LGBTQ performance in Scotland. Created by a group of award-winning performers, and filmed in Puck’s Glen and Stirling Castle, OMOS features each artist occupying space as they draw on the past and look to the future.
OMOS is inspired by connections between Puck’s Glen, Stirling Castle and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is also connected to a historical performance given to King James VI of Scotland. At Stirling Castle in 1594, a feared lion was replaced by an unnamed Black man, who pulled a chariot through the castle’s Great Hall. He was one of a number of Black people who appeared in performances at the Scottish court throughout Scottish history. This film is an homage to those people and a celebration of Black performance in Scotland today.
The name OMOS was originally an acronym for the phrase ‘O monstrous! O strange!’, a quote from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As the project developed, this phrase has been morphed to stand for ‘Our Movement, Our Stories’. The film has an ambiguous title of solely OMOS.
To open this year's festival we are delighted to welcome the film's stars to introduce the film and discuss the ideas it explores: cabaret performer Rhys Hollis, mezzo soprano Andrea Baker, dancer Divine Tasinda and pole artist Kheanna Walker, as well as cinematographer Ambroise Leclerc. Rhys and Andrea will also perform live after the screening.
Captioned for d/Deaf viewers. The discussion will be BSL interpreted.
Plus...
Join the director of the GSFF opening film OMOS Rhys Hollis (aka Rhys'Pieces) for a free workshop:
Lipsyncing 101 With Rhys Hollis (Rhys’s Pieces)
Venue: Bonjour Glasgow
Date: Thursday 23 Mar, 17:00 - 19:00
