Fuming

“The smoking ban was never debated” says Michael Fagan… ‘It’s ridiculous, so it is…’ according to James Kyle. With the democratic process cast aside, ‘Fuming’ provides a vehicle by which displaced smokers can air their views on the prohibition of smoking in public places. Gone is their freedom to enjoy a pint of beer and a cigarette in the warmth of their local, and in its place stolen moments taken on the streets in all kinds of weather. ..
Two years into the ban, a collection of confirmed smokers discuss the finer points of human rights’ breaches and government taxes. This is contrasted by an opening sequence of archive stills and poetic narration depicting the ‘smog-ridden skies’ of Glasgow during days gone by, and hinting at the obvious benefits of a smoke-free environment.

By June Toner