Words by Amanda Eleftheriades & Photos by Julia Germany & Beatriz Silva
Daisies are beautiful, tough wee flowers which pop up and survive in some of the most challenging places.
In ‘Crazy Daisys,’ a new short film written and directed by Clydebank filmmaker Sara Jane Kirkwood, the Daisys in question are a group of young women just starting to blossom and find their way in the world.
Filmed in and around Radnor Park with the support of the local community, the life challenges faced by the friends will be all too familiar for many young (and not so young) residents.
The 14-minute short focuses on the highs and lows of what seems to be a typical weekend for the Daisys – Abbie, Doris, Chloe and Olivia.
It highlights their struggles to find even low-paid work, a safe place to live, pay bills, escape abusive relationships, avoid a criminal record, and simply survive where drink and drugs are a way of life.
Sara Jane explained her thinking behind the film.
“Young people in Clydebank have to face so much and yet they just get on with it.
“I grew up in Clydebank – a town officially dubbed the worst place in Scotland to be a woman.
“It was all the stuff I’ve seen growing up. There are places where you can send a text and get cocaine delivered faster than you can get a library book, there are so few decent jobs for young people and West Dunbartonshire has the highest rates of domestic abuse in Scotland.
“The film shows all this but there’s also a sense of hope, and that came through when we were doing the filming.
“It’s been made on an absolute shoestring – we got a small EU arts award to get us started and then put a call out for help and were overwhelmed by the response from the local community,
businesses and the film industry.”
Local People, Local Support
The Golden Jubilee Hotel provided much needed crew accommodation, the local Co-op kept the cast and crew fed and watered, youth charity YSort It provided locations and a base during filming, and the Omniplex Clydebank offered their venue for a private screening.
Further support was received from the Central Radnor Park Tenants and Resident Association, Media Dog, Film Vehicle Scotland, law firm Brown & Winters and Alison Edgar MBE.
Radnor Park’s high flats bring their own identity to the film and the reality of some scenes got a little too close for comfort for some residents.
Sara Jane recalled the police were called out several times during the filming of a scene where one of the Daisys is attacked by her violent partner and on another occasion the council’s Anti-Social Behaviour unit were called as worried neighbours thought something untoward was happening.
For executive producer, Natalie Arle-Toyne, the authenticity of the film was crucial.
She said: “Narratives like Crazy Daisys are not just stories, they’re an urgent call for visibility.
“Scotland’s cultural landscape is rich, diverse, and full of untapped talent. Sara Jane’s script was in equal measure darkly hilarious, touching and uplifting.
“I genuinely believe local voices like Sara Jane’s can spark change, and I feel deeply grateful to have been so welcomed into her incredible community.”
And a casting call for actors to play the Daisys uncovered local talent in the shape of Evie McColgan, she was joined by Abbie Miller, Chloe Hodgson, and Olivia Adams all from similar working-class communities.
All the extras and many of the backstage crew were also from the local area.
So, when the private screening of the film was held in the Omniplex Clydebank last month it needed two showings as everyone who helped create the short was excited to see their production.
Real People, Real Talent
Afterwards we caught up with three of the Daisys to see what they thought of the film.
Evie said: “It was really refreshing to see it on the big screen and see the struggles people go through in places like Clydebank – it’s not spoken about enough, we need more of it.”
And Chloe, who is from Glasgow’s East End, agreed: “Usually when you see Scotland in films or on the TV it’s the highlands and islands – all the touristy areas, but we’re real people and our
communities are real, so it’s good to see people like us on camera for a change.”
For all three it was their first time in a big screen production, and they found it a fun, if rather “weird” experience.
“I was doing musical theatre before this,” said Evie who has just started studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“It was strange to see myself on the screen, but it was exciting.”
The young actors praised the support off camera.
Abbie said: “There were loads of people working away behind the scenes, we couldn’t have done it without them all.”
And Chloe added: “Visually it looks amazing, Kirsty the cinematographer has done a brilliant job.”
The young stars all have exciting plans, while the next stop for the film is the festival circuit, which starts early in the new year.
Sara Jane is hopeful these little seeds will be the start of something bigger, and pitches are being made to TV studios for a drama series exploring the complexities of life for young women in working class communities.
For now, she’s enjoying catching up with childhood friends who travelled from all over the country to enjoy the private screening with her.
“There are people here tonight I’ve not seen in 30 years – they grew up here and are saying we’re the original Daisys.
“The funny thing is, the older generation also see themselves in the Daisys – so maybe this is just the start of a whole new daisy chain.”
Help keep Clydesider free for all: Join Clydesider Community Magazine’s Ko-fi Membership