I’ve been living in Scotland’s capital for almost a month now. Balancing my part time job and my university work is proving to be a tough struggle but I’ve always enjoyed a challenge. My MSc course is proving to be fascinating, enjoyable and encouraging. Working to pay for my tuition fees is a frustrating necessity and one that I must learn to cope with. Amidst all of my academic reading, and the long shifts behind a bar, I have made lots of time to explore the city and soak up what Edinburgh has to offer. Already, Edinburgh is proving to be a glorious, vibrant city where I instantly feel at home. A lot of my time has been spent in the city’s two superb picture houses, as well as renting an abundance of films from my University library. The city is full of quirky little bars and pubs where I’ve spent time getting to know my new course mates and fellow film fanatics. It is the landscapes of the city and the diversity of the cinemas’ programmes that I’ve really been thriving off. It has been a difficult transition but the events and visions the city offers make being away from my loved ones a little easier. Cameo and Filmhouse are a five minute walk from each other and, in less than thirty days, I have already spent many blissful hours in both.
Cameo is homely, inviting and thoroughly reminiscent of The Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds, where I resided for the past three years during my undergraduate studies. Its interior is warm and charming. The staff are friendly and as inviting as the comfy seats and quirky bar. In the comfort of the Cameo, I have sat through the delights of Upstream Colour, What Maisie Knew, Blue Jasmine and Bugsy Malone in the past four weeks. I am thoroughly looking forward to my personal hero and respected film critic and fan, Mark Kermode, visiting the Cameo on his book tour in the next few weeks. Filmhouse is sleek and artistic. As you walk through the doors there are several shelves of DVDs that you would never find in your bog standard high street stores. The variety of films, magazines and art work they have on display reflects their passion for cinema and it feels like a sort of temple for the film enthusiasts of Edinburgh. The screens are lovely and I have been privileged to discover some older masterpieces in the Filmhouse. I was particularly impressed with Plein Soleil, Blackfish and Deliverance.
Edinburgh is turning out to be the city I desperately wanted it to be. Whether I will reside here for future years, or for just the next ten months of study, is yet to be determined. Either way, moving to Edinburgh was scary. Now, settled in, I am feeling inspired and excited about the year ahead. I hope to express this passion and motivation through my writing. I am constantly busy, constantly inspired and constantly ambitious; much like the city itself. There is a spirit and a sense of freedom within Edinburgh that leaks into the film culture and the general atmosphere of the city. These are exciting times. As the marvellous Humphrey Bogart once put it…
“…I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Thanks for reading and let’s all keep supporting our beloved film industry.
Hannah McHaffie 