Miranda Stern's documentary 'Clean' has won the Scottish Short Film Award at the 16th edition of Glasgow Short Film Festival (GSFF).
The film
A short and personal female-centred documentary about addiction and long-term recovery from it.
Miranda weaves together observational and lyrical elements to take us into the challenging, deeply personal and relatively unknown world of recovery – along with the processes of care that follow in the years after a period of active addiction.
This is one couple’s journey together as they negotiate the world of recovery and how to plan for a future with so much uncertainty in it.
The award
The Scottish Short Film Award honours inspiration and innovation in new Scottish cinema, and saw 20 new films compete, including 5 World Premieres.
The GSFF23 Scottish Short Film Award was awarded by a jury consisting of Girl director Adura Onashile, FilmFest Dresden co-director and Locarno Pardi di Domani selection committee member Anne Gaschütz and programmer and industry coordinator for Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival Julie Rousson.
Miranda won for Clean and receives a cash prize of £1000.
The jury said:
"We were deeply touched by the emotion driven by this very personal testimony, and surprised by the lightness of touch as we enter a film that does not prepare you either for its essence or conclusion… The strength of the vision, the detail of a relationship, the commitment to overcoming a deep personal struggle was for us filmmaking at its most urgent, dynamic, heartbreaking and ultimately liberating."
Miranda said:
"I cannot fully articulate how much this means to me both professionally and personally, but this is my attempt to put it into words…
I have this really vivid memory of trying to get through a cold turkey and searching online for stories of other people who’d been through this impossible thing and come out the other side. I so desperately wanted to hear success stories, and it really struck me in that moment that there just weren’t very many out there. Or rather there were, but I didn’t have access to them because the dominant narrative that exists tends to focus on the dark descent into addiction and ends in relapse or death. The challenging, deeply personal, and unknown world of recovery and hope is rarely explored. It’s hard not to internalise some of that sense that addiction is a hopeless situation with no way out other than in a coffin, or prison.
This film wouldn’t have happened without the immeasurable and unquantifiable support from all the people I had in my corner. You know who you are.
I’d also like to take a moment for all the addicts that still suffer. This is a disease from which there is no known cure. It’s taken too many people and it is relentless. It can, however, be arrested at some point and recovery is then possible.
That’s the only message that really matters."
***Miranda***
Further information
Directed and Edited by Miranda Stern
Cinematographer: Julyan Sinclair
Producer: Reece Cargan
Executive Producer: Sue Bourne
Composer: Rotem Frimer
Edit Consultant: Emiliano Battista
Colourist and Online Editor Karolina Matela
Sound Designer: Alina Ushakova
Dubbing Mixer: Joseph Russell
Developed, supported and executive produced by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Bridging the Gap programme and Screen Scotland.
Screening or distribution requests
Please contact Alexandra via festivals@scotdoc.com