‘The Angels’ Share’ at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival

Abstract

Subverting the usual touristic signifiers of Scottishness – tartanry, whisky, and so on – THE ANGELS‘ SHARE (Loach, 2012) follows four young people from Glasgow’s impoverished East End as they embark on what might be considered a victimless crime in the north of Scotland. Predominantly comic in tone, the film was shot in 2011 and received its world premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. I attended the festival as part of a research project tracking the film’s journey from initial concept and screenplay through the production process and into exhibition, distribution, and reception.