TV debut for young director
Documentary on STV 2
Willie Little and Patrick Rooney in Little’s Restaurant, Blairgowrie A young Perthshire film-maker had his television debut last week.
Patrick Rooney’s short on the refurbishment of the Riverside Methodist Church in Blairgowrie was broadcast on STV 2’s Live and Five programme on Thursday, May 17.
Last year, the church on the town’s Wellmeadow underwent an extensive transformation, and was reopened by Willie Little as Little’s Restaurant.
Patrick himself used to work as a waiter in Little’s before the relocation to the disused church, and was keen to create a short documentary on the process from start to finish.
Clips from his work were shown on last week’s Live at Five show, along with interviews from Patrick himself and Willie Little.
Patrick said: “I am delighted that we have now had television recognition for this project, it’s great, and very much deserved for Willie and his team. It’s been a fantastic project to work on and I have really enjoyed making the documentary.
“The church is an amazing space in which to house a restaurant, and every time I came in to film the stainglass window gave me goosebumps. Hopefully through all this publicity we are now getting about the project, many more people will hear about it and will visit Willie’s restaurant.
“Certainly working on the documentary has not only helped out a friend, but has given me added practical experience too for my future career.”
Patrick graduated last year with a first class degree from the SAE Institute in Glasgow and has since been working as an intern at Plum Films as well as working on a number of projects for himself as well.
When he was a student and working at Little’s Restaurant, Patrick had made two short films, including one on ‘A Day in the Life of Willie Little,’ and created the restaurant’s distinctive fish logo, which remains to this day.
The 11-minute-long documentary was filmed once a week for 10 months alongside his studies. The film includes interviews with Willie Little and longstanding waitress Helen and the main builders in charge of the construction work.
The documentary also explores the iconic stainglass window in the church, which was dedicated to the Labour Corps of World War One. Over 20,000 Labour Corps soldiers were stationed in Blairgowrie and used the Riverside Methodist Church for meals, games and respite care.
Patrick’s moment on television can be viewed online on the STV Player.
The church is an amazing space