Where You’re Meant to Be **** (2016, Aidan Moffat, Sheila Stewart) – Movie Review

Co-writer/director Paul Fegan’s superlative music documentary follows Scottish indie pop artist Aidan Moffat (from Arab Strap) on tour in Scotland with the traditional Scottish folk songs he’s decided to update to suit modern, urban life.

He meets up with Sheila Stewart, an old and venerable traditional Scottish folk singer, and self-proclaimed keeper of the flame for the old Scots songs. She’s aghast and angry about what he’s up to with re-writing the lyrics of his country’s oldest songs. Moffat clearly not only admires her, but adores her, and her objections put a real spanner in his works. Sheila and centuries of history are really standing in his way on his tour- but in a good way.

It of course turns out that Moffat himself is destined to be the keeper of the flame. He’s rough, raw and rude, but incredibly real, warm, sentimental and funny. If you add sweet to the mix, all those adjectives describe the film too. I haven’t laughed and cried so much in ages, all at the same time too. Moffat even chucks in a song about gay marriage.

Did I mention that some of his language and songs are filthy? But in a real good way that some conservative-looking people in the film’s audiences apparently don’t take exception to or offence at.

Maybe you have to be Scottish to really get it, but this is a lovely film, way outstripping expectations.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Movie Review
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