James Scott, son of the celebrated artist William Scott, opens a special screening of his film Every Picture Tells A Story (1984), which explores the early life of Scott. The film is screened as part of the BFI Southbank’s ongoing Projecting the Archive series and this film will be presented on 9 May. An idiosyncratic portrait of his father’s early years, James Scott examines William Scott’s entrance into the art world in this insightful film. William Scott is the subject of a number of centennial exhibitions across the UK this year (including at Tate St Ives, the Jerwood Gallery Hastings, The Hepworth Wakefield and National Museums Belfast).

Every Picture Tells A Story is a collage of quasi-abstract canvasses and domestic source material. William Scott contributes occasional remarks and a heartbreakingly young Natasha Richardson makes her first credited screen appearance as an art tutor. Scott junior has enjoyed a diverse career himself, working in a variety of arears, ranging from early art documentaries about key 60s figures such as Richard Hamilton and R B Kitaj, to work with the radical Berwick Street Collective, independent features and the Oscar-winning short A Shocking Accident, based on the short story by Graham Greene.

The screening programme also includes Scott’s short, In Separation (1965) and an introduction and post-screening discussion with James Scott. There will also be screenings of the filmmaker’s Claes Oldenburg documentary film, The Great Ice Cream Robbery (1971), on 24 April. It will be presented in its original 2-screen version as part of Double Vision 1: A Twin-Projection Compendium.

James Scott: Every Picture Tells A Story, 9 May, BFI Southbank, London.

Credit
1. Every Picture Tells A Story, James Scott, 1984, courtesy of the BFI.