A UNIQUE documentary by an Ayr-based University of the West of Scotland (UWS) lecturer had its premiere at the BFI London Film Festival last week.

The Wolf Suit, directed by BA Filmmaking Programme Leader Sam Firth, made its debut on Friday, October 8, with a follow-up screening held on Sunday, October 10.

The highly personal movie looks at Sam’s childhood, and why her memories of the past differ so drastically from that of her sister and parents; employing a range of creative narrative techniques.

As part of her journey during the film, Sam drafts in her parents as co-directors as they utilise professional actors to recreate their recollections of the past.

Sam said: “In a weird way, work on the film started back when I was a teenager and made tape recordings of my parents telling their different stories.

“The Wolf Suit, as a film, is a story on two levels. In a general sense, it looks at memory and truth, and how we construct stories from our past.

“More specifically, it tells my personal family story and tries to get to the bottom of why my recollections of the past are different to that of my family.

“It’s really exciting to see it make its debut at the BFI London Film Festival – I think it’s the kind of film that needs to be seen in front of an audience, who can then discuss what they’ve just seen, rather than a small screen.”

Filming on The Wolf Suit began in 2018, and Sam directed, produced and edited the film herself, but the University’s BA and MA Filmmaking students were heavily involved in making the film.

Sam added: “I couldn’t have done this without UWS. I’ve had a huge amount of support from the department, and from students, and I am tremendously grateful for this.”