Three-Legged Horses is a Scottish short film, currently in post production, about a rickshaw driver's last working night in Edinburgh.
WHAT'S GOING ON?
We find our main character, a rickshaw driver, at the end of his run. After being told any more work will damage his knees permanently, he's now on a mission. He's got a target, one last weekend and he's going to make the best of it.
THAT'S NICE.
Unfortunately, as it goes, 'the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley'. He soon finds himself on his worst night ever, with pain constantly shooting through his knees and neds (local scottish yoof!) trying to steal his comfy blanket and meager earnings.
As the night threatens to end with nothing to show for, he reluctantly agrees to take three less-than-friendly lads on his most gruelling ride yet, up to the Edinburgh Castle. It's an unrelenting pointless lift, and he struggles to keep going.
A local group of buskers comes to the rescue, providing him with the soundtrack (and the second wind) to redeem his night.
'Three-Legged Horses' is based on real events and happenings I witnessed or experienced during my years working as a rickshaw driver in Edinburgh and Dublin. The climactic scene is the best thing that's ever happened to me on a rickshaw and one of the best moments in my life. It has now become somewhat of a ritual for Edinburgh pedicabbers.
IT'S SCOTTISH, IT MUST BE GRIM, THEN?
It's a fast-paced, funny, slightly surreal look at the people who choose (or have) to work in the night-time, those out and about going out of their minds, and the others simply looking for a good story to tell on Monday morning. It highlights the simple but strong connections made between people who take a chance on odd jobs, where their success depends on creativity and personality.
WHO'S GOING TO WANT TO SEE THIS?
Anyone who's ever taken a chance on something stupid. It's a total triumph over adversity tale. With fantastic music. And if you know anything about Edinburgh, you'll know it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world, making anything set in it, positively epic-looking. We're going to send this all over the world. We want everyone to see it.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY, SON?
We're buying the rights to the actual song, dad. "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)" is one of the most inspirational tunes committed to screen and known the world over. It's the song a drunken man started clapping to when he saw me struggling on my rickshaw all those years ago. It attracted buskers and passerbys who joined in and created one of the most surreal and beautiful moments in my life.
It's not just the quality of the song, it's the personal memories it has accumulated through the decades. It makes an instant connection with most people on the planet. It makes people happy.
We've got an incredible band of buskers to perform it - Edinburgh's own Orkestra del Sol.
WHO'S MAKING IT?
Debasers Filums was formed by self-made filmmakers, bound by their friendship and their love for films. It was all a good laugh until someone gave us an award. Now we're dead serious. We've already raised enough money to actually film it, now all we need is to secure the music rights.
Our first short filum 'Tixeon' - about finding alternatives in a future society that provides none - won the top prize at the Anonimul Independent Film Festival. We're here to last.
Our DP is Belgian legend, Frederic Plasman:
Our talented and hardworking crew are film industry professionals who are donating their time for this particular project.
THINGS TO WATCH:
A wee montage of our clapper loader, Joe Hope, keeping the morale up on set.
Here's the acceptance speech winning our first award at the Anonimul Film Festival in Romania for Tixeon.
Thank you for your support! You won't be disappointed.
Find us on Twitter @debasersfilums and become a fan on Facebook.
The owner of this project has not made any updates yet.
