Scots filmmaker delves into life in Edinburgh's roughest areas

A Scots filmmaker has released a brand gangster thriller series exploring Scotland's drug underworld.

Supply and Demand, set, filmed and produced in Edinburgh celebrates working-class culture. Written by Garry Fraser who witnessed first hand what it was like to grow up in Muirhouse, one of the city's roughest schemes.

The cast for the first instalment of the show is mostly made up of non-actors who have experienced trauma in their life, whether as ex-veterans or martial artists from economically challenged backgrounds, reports Edinburgh Live.

READ MORE:Urgent Police Scotland appeal to trace missing man from Edinburgh

READ MORE:Ulrika Jonsson breaks silence after ex Sven-Goran Eriksson's death

Viewers will get a glimpse into the life of a family that is torn apart by addiction and involvement in the international drug trade. The series focuses on the war on drugs, the role of the establishment in propagating the issue, as well as real-life stories of those caught up in the illegal narcotics trade.

Garry, who is a former heroin addict and double BAFTA winner, praises the series for several reasons, from its authentic portrayal of personal trauma to the fact it was self-funded without help from establishment media. Garry is also proud that the project involves schemes including Pilton, Granton and Leith as its set.

However, this did not come without issue after one scene involving a machete spooked North Edinburgh police into racing into a shop, only for them to be calmed by Garry after he explained they were in fact on part of Supply and Demand set.

On the basis of the series, he said: "The war on drugs is something that can evoke many different images and emotions about the characters who might be involved in this complicated, contentious issue, but very rarely is the desire for change explored, or the abuse of power and the information network linked to deprived Scottish communities examined in-depth."

"In Supply and Demand, however, this powerful desire for change is the common thread which binds our characters together. Told from the perspective of a broken, grieving family, this often-unexamined front line gives our intertwining plots a coherent dramatic structure, accompanied by original, intoxicating, local music that underscores the gritty tone."

"Drawing on the personal experiences of the cast of mainly non-professional actors, through an intense rehearsal period we have been able to tap into powerful emotions to tease out raw and authentic performances from my actors, often drawing upon their own lived experiences."

"This authenticity shines through on screen as together, we tackle themes of what masculinity means in the modern world, alcoholism, drug addiction, family breakdowns, PTSD, and the constant strain of living under regular abuses of power from the people who are ostensibly there to protect us the police."

Garry reiterates that Edinburgh is no different from any other major European city in terms of its criminal underbelly. He adds how shows such as Snowfall and The Wire that are set in the US, and portray the role of law enforcement in the drug trade whilst telling real-life stories from the perspective of those living on the projects, as motivation.

Supply and Demand attempts to deliver a journey through the eyes of those who have lived through war in their communities through the drug trade.

He adds that there is a lack of storytelling in the eyes of the working-class people in Edinburgh. Adding that too often, stories depict drug addict mums or down-and-out drug dealer villains hell-bent on destroying their community, when in reality the stories in schemes are often more complex and diverse.

Garry believes it was crucial to use non-actors who had experience with trauma as he wanted to get a cathartic realistic performance from cast members. The project started two years ago in lockdown and has been a painstaking journey of drama workshops and meetings to bring the idea to life.

The premise of the series follows a character Frank who has just returned from a tour with the British Army in Iraq, only to discover his cousin Charlie is heavily involved with high level drug dealing. Frank is recruited by MI5 to infiltrate and unravel his cousin's enterprise.

"I don't think there has been a film made like this before in Edinburgh. As a screenwriter I have had to research our criminal underworld past and I was amazed to discover that we have had foreign mafia involvement in schemes like Pilton in the past", Garry said.

"It was important to create an artwork that is from the perspective of ground zero and not the establishment. In countries like France, Italy and Poland there is a celebration of social realism but in Scotland it feels as though the arts have been hijacked by the middle class which means real working class stories are not told properly in this way."

"We stay in a country where an addict dies every seven hours but where is the media telling the story from their perspective? There is a crazy inequality when it comes to life in Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole."

"We have had refugees from Afghanistan and Ethiopia, veterans of the Iraq war and everyday folk from the scheme involved in the film making process for Supply and Demand. The project has been about breaking down barriers and opening doors."

"I think if there are thirteen young bairns shouting 'action' and 'cut' alongside me on set, whilst seeing how passionate I am, then they may end up thinking they can build a career in film too."

Garry adds that no matter where they went, whether Muirhouse, Pilton, Granton or Leith, they were met with love and support from the local community, often being offered food, tea or electricity by local youths refraining from nicking equipment, Supply and Demand was a hit with whatever area they filmed in.

The Muirhouse father-of-five added that local businesses were always up for offering their shops assets. But on one occasion this sparked a response from local police.

"We took over communities like Pilton, Muirhouse and Leith and had no trouble. We involved everyone and people were so generous towards us."

"A big thing was turning the schemes into a filming location. A shopkeeper offered us his shop to film a scene where someone was brandishing a machete in a robbery."

"It caused a stir and for a minute we thought we were getting charged with brandishing a weapon in public. But a senior officer listened to the shopkeeper who backed our claim that it was a live film set - art had taken over life in the community."

"When people are struggling in poverty there is a lot of negativity and self defeat. This is not helped by the portrayal of working class culture in our media."

"A large part of making Supply and Demand was to bring confidence to those living in schemes and to dispel a lot of the self defeating lack of empowerment. We wanted to show the empathy and complex nature of life on a housing estate."

Garry, who is father to Gary J 20, Billy 16, Destiny 13, Faith nine, Lee four weeks and boyfriend to Xanthia, says he has not received any national funding for the series and as a result he is trying to fundraise to continue the project.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.