Film Director, Etienne Kubwabo, speaks about his debut-drama feature film "The Difference Between Us".
Film Director, Etienne Kubwabo, speaks about his debut-drama feature film "The Difference Between Us".
Mile Away Films present “The Difference Between Us,” a debut-drama from the award winning film maker Etienne Kubwabo.
Alex Watson is a young black man, raised in the secluded Highlands of Scotland by two white adoptive parents. When Alex leaves his protective bubble behind to attend university in Glasgow, he moves in with siblings Michael and Laura. As the trio grow closer, their pasts and prejudices threaten their new relationship and Alex must learn what being black in the modern world truly means.
“The Difference Between Us,” directed by Etienne Kubwabo, with a screenplay by Etienne Kubwabo & Craig Andrew Mooney, based upon the short story by Etienne Kubwabo, stars Wam Siluka Jr (“Alex”), Paul Stirrat (“Michael”), Alex Jackson (“Laura”), Craig Andrew Mooney(“Pete), Kirsty Scott(“Carla Watson”), Andrew McGeachie (“Ryan Watson”). The producers are Nick Ikunda, Etienne Kubwabo, Craig Andrew Mooney and Rose Sehakizinka.
Dates & Times
Fri 21 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Sat 22 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
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Tue 25 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Wed 26 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Thurs 27 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Fri 28 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Sat 29 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
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Tue 1 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Wed 2 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Thurs 3 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Fri 4 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15p
Sat 5 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Mile Away Films present “The Difference Between Us,” a debut-drama from the award winning film maker Etienne Kubwabo.
Alex Watson is a young black man, raised in the secluded Highlands of Scotland by two white adoptive parents. When Alex leaves his protective bubble behind to attend university in Glasgow, he moves in with siblings Michael and Laura. As the trio grow closer, their pasts and prejudices threaten their new relationship and Alex must learn what being black in the modern world truly means.
“The Difference Between Us,” directed by Etienne Kubwabo, with a screenplay by Etienne Kubwabo & Craig Andrew Mooney, based upon the short story by Etienne Kubwabo, stars Wam Siluka Jr (“Alex”), Paul Stirrat (“Michael”), Alex Jackson (“Laura”), Craig Andrew Mooney(“Pete), Kirsty Scott(“Carla Watson”), Andrew McGeachie (“Ryan Watson”). The producers are Nick Ikunda, Etienne Kubwabo, Craig Andrew Mooney and Rose Sehakizinka.
Dates & Times
Fri 21 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Sat 22 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
-
Tue 25 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Wed 26 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Thurs 27 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Fri 28 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Sat 29 July | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
-
Tue 1 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Wed 2 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Thurs 3 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Fri 4 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15p
Sat 5 August | 3:00 - 5:15pm & 6:00 - 8:15pm
Transcript
00:00 Hey, my name is Etienne Kugwawo.
00:20 I'm a film director and a comic book creator and we are in Glasgow, Scotland.
00:25 And I make films for a living, tell stories for a living.
00:28 My latest project is The Difference Between Us, which is a first debut feature film for
00:33 myself.
00:34 And I'm very excited to be sharing this story with you.
00:36 It's going to be opening this Friday on the 21st of July to the 5th of August.
00:42 And we are excited for you guys to see it.
00:45 The story came from when I was locked up during lockdown, during COVID.
00:50 Everybody was like in the house, right?
00:51 So that story came to me because of my past experiences moving from Congo to Scotland.
00:56 I kind of wanted to tell a story that was really close to my heart.
00:59 A story that sort of covered my relationship with my stepmother and Scotland, which is
01:03 my new home.
01:04 I feel like that story was not told yet and I kind of wanted to dive in and tell it because
01:10 just being locked away, it kind of made me go back to who I was and why I go into filmmaking
01:15 in the first place.
01:17 And hopefully people can watch the story and feel transformed after watching it.
01:21 So the story starts off in the Highlands when Alex leaves for the first time and he comes
01:25 to join university.
01:27 Moves in with Laura and Michael who are brother and sister.
01:30 These two are also adopted kids and their past kind of challenges who Alex is in this
01:37 new world.
01:38 Alex is some kid who grew up in the Highlands.
01:40 He doesn't know what it means to be a black man in the modern world.
01:43 He doesn't know any hip hop music or African food.
01:45 So he's new to Glasgow and he's trying to sort of find his way around this world.
01:50 So these two characters, we've got Laura who's sort of like the balance, who tries to balance
01:55 the relationship between her brother and the new guy who's moved in with him and you've
01:59 got Alex who's just trying to figure out what it's like to be introduced to the new world.
02:05 So the actors, it's really interesting with the film industry growing in Scotland.
02:09 We've got this page called Scottish Filmmakers and Actors.
02:12 So I pulled up a call, I was like I'm looking for actors to be in my upcoming film and the
02:17 response was amazing.
02:19 I first got Alex Jackson who played Laura and then Paul Stilett who plays Michael, Craig
02:25 Andrew Mooney who's our buddy, villain of the story and Wamsi Luka Jr. plays the lead
02:31 protagonist of the story.
02:33 I got him like three months later.
02:35 So yeah, it's just so amazing seeing how everybody's creating movies now, nowadays in Scotland
02:41 and we've got this page.
02:42 When you go there and announce anything you're doing, the response is always positive.
02:46 So that's how I got up to casting everybody and my film has over 50 people involved from
02:51 the cast and crew so it's been a great ride working with the industry people who are upcoming
02:56 in Scotland.
02:57 80% of the film is in Glasgow and then you've got the Highlands.
03:01 You know we went to Glencoe where we shot 20% of the movie and yeah you're going to
03:05 see how stunning our city looks and the Highlands look.
03:09 Oh my God, the red carpet had over 156 tickets sold.
03:14 The whole night was packed with people with good energy, good vibes, everybody coming
03:19 to witness the film for the first time.
03:21 The response was good.
03:23 I can say that I probably experienced for the first time the stand-up aviation.
03:27 You know when they clap at the can, I felt that after people watched the movie.
03:31 They stood up, clapped and they really loved the story and they loved the fact that it's
03:35 a human story which we are lacking nowadays.
03:37 So it was a positive night, a successful premiere and I'm looking forward to meeting everybody
03:43 when the film opens this Friday.
03:45 You can see the film at CCA Glasgow from the 21st of July to the 5th of August but you
03:50 can also catch it 9th September at Summer Hall in Edinburgh and we're going to take
03:55 it on world tour in other parts of the world.
03:57 You know what I say, creative people, we never stop working, right?
04:00 So as I finish The Difference Between Us and we are now promoting it but every day once
04:06 a week, twice a week, I'm there writing my new film, a thriller.
04:09 I'm not going to say so much about it but I'm pretty much excited about that as well
04:13 because it's a human story as well and it's something that we need more than ever in this
04:17 world with a lot of things going on, war and challenges, people are struggling in different
04:22 ways.
04:23 But having these stories and help people escape is the most important thing that we need now
04:27 more than ever.
04:30 My whole life, I felt different.
04:33 I thought that if I came here I wouldn't stand out as much.
04:40 Apparently I still do.
04:43 You don't have to hide.
04:47 Just be you.
04:48 Michael, meet our new roommate.
05:06 No handshakes here, mate.
05:12 Okay.
05:15 You read newspapers?
05:33 Yes.
05:35 Man, what century are you from?
05:57 I'm so sorry.
06:23 I'm Alex Watson!
06:29 Alex Watson, can the fuck up?
06:35 I'm so sorry.
06:36 I'm so sorry.
06:37 I'm so sorry.
06:38 I'm so sorry.
06:39 I'm so sorry.
06:39 I'm so sorry.
06:40 I'm so sorry.
06:41 I'm so sorry.
06:47 I'm so sorry.