Bel, the powerful documentary debut from director Louise Lockwood, is to be aired on television this weekend.
The film will be shown at 9pm on 4 October on BBC Scotland, then at 10pm on 6 October on BBC Four. It will also be available on iPlayer from 4 October.
Bel had its world premiere as the Closing Film of this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) on 19 August. It has since toured hand-picked cinemas, including week-long runs at Filmhouse in Edinburgh and the GFT in Glasgow.
The film tells the story of Beldina Odenyo, the Kenyan-Scottish musician, singer and songwriter who performed as Heir of the Cursed, and worked in Scotland’s theatre and poetry communities. Bel died by suicide in 2021, weeks after an acclaimed performance at the Scottish Album of the Year Awards. She left raw, intimate video diaries and a hard drive of original songs to her sister Leah McAleer
Bel follows her sister and friends as they work to release that music posthumously, painting a heartfelt portrait of a complex, intelligent and profoundly talented young woman.
There is a poignant full-circle moment, as it was announced just last week that the posthumous album Heir of the Cursed is longlisted for this year’s Scottish Album of the Year Award. The ceremony will take place in Dundee on 5 November.
Bel is Lockwood’s first feature documentary for cinema. She has made award-winning television documentaries for more than two decades.
The film is produced by Sarah Howitt, with executive producers John Archer and Nancy Bornat (Hopscotch Films) and Mark Thomas (Screen Scotland). Jackie Kay, the award-winning poet, novelist and playwright, is associate producer.
The film was commissioned for BBC Two, BBC Scotland and iPlayer by Clare Sillery, former Head of Commissioning, BBC Documentaries, and commissioning editors David Harron and Emma Loach, with commissioning executive Shona Thompson. It is supported by Screen Scotland, the BBC and the National Theatre of Scotland.
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