Bangour documentary is a hit on YouTube
A team of West Lothian filmmakers have released a documentary on Bangour Village Hospital, raising over £600 for a Scottish mental health charity at the film’s premiere at the end of January.
The film, called ‘Bangour District Asylum’, premiered at the Bathgate Cinema on January 28 and quickly sold out its 100-person capacity, with all proceeds going to the Neil’s Hugs Foundation.
Since the documentary was released as a free to watch film on YouTube last week, it has amassed nearly 10,000 views.
Condor Entertainment, a new West Lothian-based media company, produced the film and the team behind it was entirely local.
Directed by Connor Denholm from Bathgate, produced by Liam James also from Bathgate, and presented by Kelly Young from Livingston, the project has been nearly four years in the making.
Condor Media was started by lifelong friends Connor and Liam, who began filming for the project before the pandemic with their mobile phones and improvised recording equipment made out of pipe tubing.
The duo reunited after the pandemic to finish production of the documentary, now armed with much higher end equipment, like the DSLR camera used to shoot the majority of the shots.
Connor Denholm said: “This is Condor Entertainment’s first film. It was a passion project from Liam and I that we started four years ago with nothing but our phones and some improvised recording equipment.
“We’re both from Bathgate and were interested in filmmaking and photography for a long time before we started Condor Media, so we knew how much history and potential West Lothian has, we just had to showcase it.”
Presenter Kelly Young talks and walks her way through Bangour Village Hospital, regaling the audience with the origins of the long defunct hospital – delving deep into the hospital’s history, including the architecture, the staff, its lasting historical and cultural impact and even rumoured hauntings.
Most of the documentary was filmed on location at the site of the old Bangour Village Hospital. The last ward shut in 2004, leaving the building empty and eerie – the perfect space for any aspiring local filmmakers.
The young filmmakers worked closely with ex-staff in the production of the documentary, interviewing Thomas Fairlie, a porter from Bangour, who moved supplies, equipment, and even bodies at times for the hospital, as well as Norma Cuthbertson, the daughter of staff from Bangour who grew up around the hospital.
Connor said he has been pleased by the community feedback he’s received since releasing the documentary.
He said: “It’s been insane to see all the feedback and support from the community and we can never thank them enough for that.
“We’ve only heard good things from everyone that’s seen it so far.
“We sold out our 100 ticket capacity at the premiere really quickly. All proceeds went to the Neil’s Hugs Foundation and the audience raised £600 for the charity to support mental health in West Lothian.
“Donna, the founder of Neil’s Hugs, was good enough to do a talk on the foundation and mental health in West Lothian before the screening.
“We chose the charity as there’s been a real mental health crisis in West Lothian, especially since the pandemic started, and we wanted to do what we could to support that.”
Condor Entertainment have teased some new West Lothian projects, and said that those interested should expect a new release around summer.
Bangour District Asylum is available to watch for free on youtube.