Screenplay 2021: Shetlanders part of 1000 voices in Time to Pause

Shetlanders Finley and Janice Armstrong are captured in Time to Pause, a unique timely Covid-19 documentary created online by renowned photographer Alistair Morrison. A photographer out of his element, trapped in isolation, asks 1000 people from around the world to join him from their varied 'lockdown spaces', so he can photograph them through the computer that becomes his studio.

Conceived initially as a remote photography project, it soon becomes obvious that he was not merely capturing their image, but he was also being given the unique opportunity to see into the emotional lives of strangers from over 100 countries, all living under very different circumstances but connected by the same moment in time - the Covid-19 pandemic.

When you have 1000 conversations with strangers from over 100 countries, you are immediately struck with the way that each individual, regardless of their circumstances, are connected through the spirit of who they are, and the background of where they come from. The moment Finley opened his Zoom call and even before he spoke, I knew he must be from a Scottish island - quite apart from the fact that he was wearing the biggest roll top sweater that you can imagine! There was something about him. And as he introduced Janice I could see the resemblance, I could feel the warmth of their connection with each other and with me, a stranger who was asking to photograph them through my computer.

(Alistair Morrison)

It's marvelous to be able to show something as individual and visionary as Time to Pause at Screenplay. Alistair has put something out there which is quite unique, and it's great to be a small part of it via the festival.

(Kathy Hubbard, Screenplay Curator)

More news on the Screenplay programme will be on the way soon. The festival runs from Wednesday 1 to Sunday 5 September 2021. The festival will run in accordance with COVID guidelines in place during September. More information can be found here, and by following Screenplay on Facebook by searching ScreenplayFilmFestival.