The films can stand for themselves, but the person behind them lived in the real world and shared the experiences of others.
Margaret Tait's films are a record of a certain period, of a family, of Edinburgh and Orkney, each of them a repository of her memories and imaginings from all the phases of her life. At the same time, several of her films could have been made elsewhere, in other specific places, so Orkney and Edinburgh have been lucky, but the experience of it would have been hers.
Peter Todd. January 2004.
With thanks to Alex Pirie and Sarah Christian.
