Before Our Diaspora

Documentary Feature | UK, France | Development

In the summer of 2023, twelve never-before-seen archival films were unearthed in Glasgow depicting the life of Scottish medical missionary Herbert Torrance and his family living in Palestine in the 1930s and 40s. A Glasgow based filmmaker of Palestinian heritage, decides to do the unthinkable and trace the lives of Palestinians in the footage that remain nameless in order to share it with possible descendants. The film takes us into a journey weaving the archive of an unspoken past to an investigation of an uncertain present, exploring the power of film as a form of collective witnessing.

Director: Theo Panagopoulos

Produced by: Nadja Lapcevic

Co- Produced by: Estelle Robin You

Production Companies: Varda Pictures, in co-production with Grande Ourse Filmses