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Short To Be Filmed In North Berwick

Mar 072013

North Berwick has been chosen as the filming location for a Finnish/Scottish co-production.

The film is shot by BAFTA New Talent (2013) nominated cinematographer, Alan McLaughlin and will feature both English and Finnish.

LOMA tells the story of a Finnish family coming to North Berwick for a peaceful holiday, in the hopes of somewhat restoring family harmony. Little did they know, that the holiday letting agency has accidentally double-booked the cottage they are meant to stay in. So they are forced to share their holiday with the Toulsons, a Scottish family. Squeezed in the tiny cottage, all kinds of problems arise in the already dysfunctional family.

The Toulsons are played by an actual mother-daughter team from Portobello and Finnish actors are flown in specifically from Finland to star in the film.

The film is entirely funded by donations from kind people and company sponsorships.
Director Katri A. Vanhatalo was born and raised in Helsinki but moved to Scotland four years ago to learn the art of filmmaking. In her graduation film she chose to combine her Finnish identity with her experience of Scottish culture.

Living in Scotland has made me very reflective of my own background. The way Finnish people think, how they interact with each other and how that differs from the way Scottish people maintain their relationships.

But in the end, we are all human beings, seeking to be accepted as part of a group. The cultural stereotypes that are addressed in LOMA and have to be overcome by the two families in order for them to make the set-up work is a metaphor for the differences we all have to overcome in every day life in order to not alienate ourselves from other people.

The film will be shot in a holiday let at Tantallon Studios next week.

The film is still accepting donations in order to pay for production costs. More information on the film and how to donate can be found at www.lomathefilm.com

Police Charge Motorists After Operation Oakum

Police Messages

Mar 052013

Almost 200 people have been charged with alleged road traffic offences as part of a campaign to reduce road casualties throughout the L & B Police Force area.

On Tuesday 26th February, Lothian and Borders Police launched Operation Oakum and over the past seven days Road Policing Officers have been carrying out enforcement activity on identified roads to detect and deter poor driving behaviour.

As a result, 11 people have been charged with careless driving, while 67 motorists were stopped for speeding.

A total of 55 drivers were charged with seat belt offences and a further 51 people have also been reported to the Procurator Fiscal for using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.

Police were also monitoring the road network for those driving while under the influence and six people were subsequently charged with alleged drink driving.

During the enforcement activity an almost 30% reduction in serious injury collisions was recorded, in comparison with the previous year.

However, officers remain committed to identifying those who continually ignore the law and will continue to provide a presence across our roads.

Road Policing Inspector Andy Amour said:

While we are delighted to have observed a comparative decrease in serious injury collisions, there are still far too many motorists driving in a manner, which puts themselves and other road users at risk.

Careless driving, speeding and drink driving greatly impair your ability to maintain control of a vehicle, while using a mobile phone or other device increases the likelihood that you will be involved in a collision.

Lothian and Borders Police are committed to casualty reduction on our roads and we will maintain a visible presence across various routes within the Force area. Anyone found to be driving in an unacceptable manner, or driving when they are not legally entitled to do so, will be robustly dealt with.