Jack’s amazing movies will live again at arts centre
Late filmmaker to be celebrated at Paisley screening
A Renfrew filmmaker has brought back to life the amazing movies of Paisley cameraman Jack Wardrop.
Many local people have viewed Jack’s films at social clubs across Paisley and even saw his iconic footage of the demolition of the Ferguslie Mills, which was featured prominently in the 2017 BBC film The Town that Thread Built.
The filmmaker died last year, and now Renfrew man Paul Russell has put together an hourlong retrospective of his work for a screening that is sure to reveal to many just what a brilliant movie man he was.
Paul got to know Jack at Paisley Art Centre’s Frame by Frame camera club.
He was even fortunate enough to interview Jack for his 2016 documentary Jack Wardrop - Citizen Journalist.
It was widely agreed that Jack made an important contribution to the culture of Paisley, and the retrospective event features many of his best-loved films as well as contributions from fans of his work.
Paul said: “This time I wanted to tell Jack’s story through the eyes of those closest to him, his wife Margaret and his filmmaking buddy David Muir.
“In the wake of projects like From Scotland with Love and the series Scotland’s Home Movies, the significance of amateur filmmaking is at last being recognised as a valuable treasure trove of important untold stories.
“Jack was a familiar sight around Paisley and beyond, out and about with his camcorder.
“He approached his subjects with a visual flourish, considered language and more often than not, a sense of humour.
“Jack was a painter and decorator during his working life and only took up filmmaking when he retired, he was largely self- taught and would find his own audiences locally.
“This was all before smartphones and social media.
“If it happened in Paisley in the last 25 years, Jack probably had it on camera!”
Paul recalled that Mr Wardrop picked up his camera just as the bulldozers were tearing down the Ferguslie Mills, a bleak time for the town, and one from which he did not flinch, with his films becoming important social documents.
He said: “Jack was thrilled to have part of his film Threadbare used in The Town that Thread built BBC documentary – ‘a broadcast credit at last’ he joked with me!”
“We’ve put together a short programme which we hope shall both celebrate one of Paisley’s great characters and inspire any other would-be local filmmakers”.
Jack Wardrop - A Retrospective is on at Paisley Arts Centre on Wednesday, September 19, at 7pm.
Admission is free.