Readers of my last blog will know that Anthony Baxter, a Scottish documentary filmmaker who attended the course I run called EsoDoc mortgaged his house and raised money by 'crowd-funding' to make a documentary called 'You've Been Trumped'. This followed the local protest movement objecting to the American billionaire Donald Trump developing a wild stretch of Aberdeen coastline to build two golf courses and a whole lot of real estate. His film was a classic 'David v Goliath' scenario, or powerless victims taking on a big bully armed with helicopters, security guards and smart press department, seemingly with Scottish politicians in his pocket. During his filming Anthony was arrested, handcuffed and put in the local police nick, only for the charge to be thrown out of court. The film won the Green Award at the Sheffield Documentary Festival and this was greeted by a standing ovation - unique in my experience. So what has happened since? This is the exciting news. It shows the power of a conscience-raising movie plus the internet to mobilise public opinion. His documentary showed for several nights at the Belmont Picture House in Aberdeen, watched by hundreds of locals. The news spread; children are displaying pictures in his support on Facebook; Indian newspapers have taken up the story; more money has been raised through IndieGoGo, the crowd-funding website, to pay for Anthony's trip to New York. He has just arrived and on 7 July, at 8.30pm, his movie will premier in the billionaire's back yard at the IFC Centre Preview Theatre. Then it will go to the San Francisco Green Film Festival. So far, Anthony has made his film entirely 'pro bono'. He has received no money for his efforts and no TV sales. It's all very well occupying the moral high ground but a man has to live!
Meanwhile, I see on the TV news that Donald Trump has stopped his Aberdeen Menie Estate development blaming the economic climate. He has one golf course up and running from a temporary clubhouse but no more.
I wonder if there's a connection here between Goliath and David, or should I say Donald and Anthony?