Community Cinema: Bridging the Gap Shorts

About Community Cinema: Bridging the Gap Shorts

For this screening we are delighted to be showing several short films from the Scottish Documentary Institute's 2025 Bridging the Gap programme, which focus on the theme 'Influence'. 
Bridging the Gap is a training programme designed to support and inspire documentary talent in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This event is for adults aged 18+. 

Film synopses:

Between Us (2025)
A mother and her four-year-old son navigate the emotional terrain of migration through a shared camera, capturing fleeting moments, quiet fears, and enduring love in an attempt to preserve their shared heritage before it fades

Director: Maryam Haddadi
Producer: Ilinca Calugareanu
Film running time: 18m
Genre: Documentary, Short
Language: Persian (Farsi), English 
Subtitles: English SDH
Content Warning: Racism

Each to their Own World (2025)
Filmmaker Klarissa Webster offers intimate insight into the lives of deaf people, who were all raised with spoken English. Experience a taste of their lives navigating social norms and clashing cultures in a society built for a “fully abled” person.

Director: Klarissa Webster
Producer: Reece Cargan
Film running time: 17m
Genre: Documentary, Short
Language: BSL, English
Subtitles: English SDH
Content Warning: Ableism

Mother's Influence (2025)
Growing up with an unconventional single mother – an influencer navigating aging and body dysmorphia – Meg admires her but questions how it shaped her own self-image. Through laughter and vulnerability, they unpack identity, influence, and the complexities of their evolving relationship.

Director: Meg Wriggles
Producer: Lea Luiz de Oliveira
Film running time: 14m
Genre: Documentary, Short
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Content Warning: Domestic violence, partial nudity, Eating disorders

Water to the Wall (2025)
A portrait of an island community through time, where the sea has always defined life. Water to the Wall depicts Orkney's tidal rhythms alongside current footage of the Ba' - an ancient game of street football - to explore the parallels between Orkney's traditions and it's tides. Water To The Wall explores how islanders live alongside the ebb and flow, a rhythmic portrait of a place and its people.

Director: Becky Manson
Producer: Marissa Keating
Film running time: 13m
Genre: Documentary, Short
Language: Scots, English
Subtitles: English SDH

The Militant Homosexual Evangelist (2025)
A queer protestor pursues meaning in standoff with Belfast’s preachers. Brian challenges the religious homophobia of Belfast’s street preachers while questioning his own faith and activism to reconcile his queer identity with his religious beliefs. This documentary explores his fight for acceptance, love, and equality in a country grappling with tradition and change.

Director: Eva Babington
Film running time: 16m
Genre: Documentary, Short
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Content Warning: Homophobia

Community Theatre (2025)
A local community theatre brings to life stories from three generations of a quiet working-class town in Scotland. Through the voices of its people, the play celebrates shared heritage, resilience and the enduring spirit of place.

Director: Lewis Baillie
Producer: Rohan Crickmar
Film running time: 13m
Genre: Documentary, Short
Language: Scots, English
Subtitles: English SDH

Thanks to Alex from Scottish Documentary Institute for the support in organising access to these brilliant short films, which we hope resonate with our cinema community.   

Refreshments
Tea, coffee, soft drinks and popcorn will be available.  
Small cash donations towards refreshements are welcome but not required.You can also bring your own soft drinks or snacks, however no alcohol is permitted. Please also refrain from bringing any hot or strong smelling food items. Thank you.

Duncan Place Access Information

• Please let us know if you have any access needs e.g. if you require a seat with armrests, if you need space for a wheelchair, or if there is anything else that you think we should know.  
• There is ramped access into the building. The event will be held on the ground floor of Duncan Place Community Hub and is wheelchair accessible.
• There are two individual toilets on the ground floor with one being wheelchair accessible.
• We have a mix of padded seats and hard plastic seats. Seats with arm rests are also available if needed. We have a limited supply of chair cushions available on request.
• There is foyer space and outdoor space for those that might need to break away to a quieter area during the film.

We also have a page on the Euan's Guide website here, including a video showing entry to the building.  

If there is anything we can do to help your visit, or if you'd like a chat about the space beforehand, please get in touch by emailing events@duncanplace.org or phoning 0131 364 4351.

Getting Here
We can be found on Google Maps here > https://goo.gl/maps/qNZeEKWL1uhdQRBd7

Duncan Place is a few minutes’ walk from Leith Walk, Duke Street, Great Junction Street and Easter Road. This area is very well served with buses, including 1, 7, 14, 16, 21, 25, 34, 35 & 49.

www.lothianbuses.com has a journey planner.

The closest tram stop is Foot Of The Walk.

Bike racks are available in our outdoor space. Please bring a secure lock. We do not have any to loan out & bikes and scooters are not allowed in the building. Bikes and scooters are left at your own risk and Duncan Place will not accept any responsibility for any damage or theft. CCTV does cover the bike racks.

Duncan Place has 1 disabled parking space and 1 further space alongside the exterior fencing, both available on a first come basis.

Parking bays have been painted on the road outside the building and on-street (card only) pay and display meters have been installed by City of Edinburgh Council, at a rate of £3.80 per hour, Monday to Friday 8:30am until 5:30pm. Onstreet parking outside our building is currently free at weekends. 

There are also yellow zig zags on the street. Again, please check signage but at the time of writing it is free to park on the zigs zags after 4pm Mon to Fri and all day on the weekends.

Duncan Place is part of the Local Cinema network.
Local Cinema is a network of community cinemas across Edinburgh, led by WHALE Arts. They support film screenings co-curated with and for local communities across a range of community spaces in the city, including WHALE Arts; North Edinburgh Arts, Duncan Place Community Hub, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Space @ Broomhouse Hub, Craigmillar Now and The Crannie Community Hub. The latest Local Cinema shared community cinema programme runs from August 2025 – March 2026. Tickets available directly at venues or via this link: https://linktr.ee/localcinemaedin 
Local Cinema is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council.