TISH + THE OLD OAK

Join Cinetopia for a double bill of TISH + THE OLD OAK followed by an in-person discussion with filmmakers Paul Sng and Paul Laverty at the Cameo Cinema on the 8th of June starting at 2 pm.

TISH (Paul Sng, 2023) is a loving portrait of social documentary photographer, Tish Murtha, which had its world premiere as Sheffield Doc/Fest 2023’s opening film, committed to documenting the impact of Thatcherism and deindustrialisation on the working-class communities she belonged to. Although Tish’s work received critical acclaim at the time, she was unable to make a living from her photography and died in poverty.

Follow Tish’s daughter, Ella, as she opens up her mother’s archive for the first time on screen to reveal a treasure trove of unseen images, artefacts, letters, and diaries. Through these objects and conversations with family members, teachers and friends, the film shines a light on Tish Murtha, the ‘tribe’ she was a part of, and her rich legacy as a key figure in British documentary photography.

THE OLD OAK (Ken Loach, 2023)

Nominated for Palme d'Or Award at Cannes in 2023, directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty, The Old Oak is fiction film focusing in on the last pub standing in a once thriving North East England village. When a group of Syrian refugees arrive in town, tensions arise between the community and its newest inhabitants, and the Old Oak becomes the epicentre of this conflict. In Loach and Laverty’s signature social realist style, the film hones in on the unique friendship between TJ Ballantine, the Old Oak’s owner, and a Syrian woman, Yara (Ebla Mari), a photographer curiously capturing the world around her.

After the two films, Edinburgh-based filmmmakers, TISH’s Paul Sng and THE OLD OAK’s Paul Laverty will engage in a conversation together about their films, how they intersect and the important political messages they interogate.

Double bill ticket priced at the regular price for 1 film! Join us for this special one-off film event in Edinburgh!

Check out the films’ trailers

Cinetopia - Tickets for All

We are happy to offer free tickets for the films in our Cinetopia:DOC programme to people who may face barriers to access our events. These may include, but are not limited to:

  • Young people under 30 not in full-time work or education

  • Unwaged, vulnerable or at risk beneficiaries

  • Those with limited access to independent cinema or the arts as a result of cultural or physical barriers

If you have any questions about our Tickets for All or would like to apply for one free ticket please email us at hello@cinetopia.co.uk

With huge thanks to Take One Action for their Community Ticket Fund of which this initiative is inspired from.