Orphans18

Their mother dead, four siblings gather in a pub on the eve of her funeral. When Michael is stabbed in a fight with a local, there begins a long, dark night of the soul as the siblings separately wander Glasgow trying to come to terms with their feelings. Thomas stubbornly stays in church with the coffin; disabled Sheila – who has cerebral palsy – gets stranded in an alley when her electric wheelchair breaks down; Michael delays hospital treatment in order to profit by pretending he was injured in a work accident; and John is out to get revenge on his brother’s attacker. Peter Mullan’s debut feature is an uncomfortable mix of searing drama and black comedy.

Preceded by short film Philippa & Nancy (8m) directed by Paul White, Ciara Barry, Claire McInnes & Nora Smyth, joint winner of the Glasgow Short Film Festival Scottish Audience Award 2012.