SYNOPSIS:

The opening scene depicts an ‘accident’ which kills a female reporter who is about to expose a story relating to a chemical plant’s interference in the food chain. As titles roll- a montage shows her funeral- her husband/daughter mourning- and later- as they get on with life as time passes. After the credits- we witness the dual reality that permeates the film. JACK- a director of commercials is interrupted on a shoot- a call relating of an accident to his daughter- TRACY. Jack immediately heads to her side- driving to Inverness- leaving his a.d. in charge. During Jacks’ drive north we see via flashbacks of Jack- his wife CATHY(dead reporter)- as a family/on holiday/at Xmas time/waving bye to Tracy as she heads off to college. At Inverness Jack finds Tracy has left hospital - the police tell him that Tracy lives at a farm commune out of the town - which they view with disdain. At first very dubious of Tracy’s friends, Jack finds the commune a highly organised concern, underpinned by a strong artistic/political ideology and community commitment. The commune members tell of their worries about a local chemical plant. Tracy’s injury being the result of a demonstration against the chemical plant’s association with the local college. A college professor also voices his concerns. As Jack, Tracy and HELEN(an aged hippie- owner of the farm) investigate a museum dedicated to the highland clearances - a group of the commune members break into the chemical plant and find evidence of the company interfering in the food chain. DAVID- one of the commune members and Tracy’s boyfriend- is injured during the break-in - and when Jack and co. return they find the chemical company and the police deny any knowledge of the break-in or David. Meanwhile- the local college professor is found dead in Loch Ness- reported as a fishing accident- yet all who knew him tell of his strict vegan philosophy and abhorrence of hunting/fishing! When Jack and Helen are returning to the farm- they pass two small vans from the chemical company- and find the farm ablaze- with everyone killed. As they return to the local police- they find the van drivers there. Hiding- Jack and Helen overhear the van drivers tell the local police sergeant how they used an incendiary grenade to ‘fire’ the farmhouse. And now- they’ve got to find the ones who escaped.! Jack and Helen- now running for their life- have to avoid police road-blocks as they head south- while avoiding the ‘killer’ vans. A confrontation on Rannoch Moor ends with the van driver and Helen dead- and Jack badly injured. However– as Jack attempts to expose the truth- he is ridiculed and the story gagged by the defence department. The only way Jack can expose the truth is via his medium- film. We pull-back- the audience left to consider whether they viewed a thriller of the genre or a piece of cinema verit’e. A dedication in the credits alludes to the friends who died at the farm commune - reinforcing the duality - was it for real? Or just a movie? Throughout the narrative there are references about myth and reality and manipulation.

XPOSURE