Half Way Home

This is Melanie's story. She's an upbeat girl who lives with her boyfriend and his family in the Scottish Highlands. She also has auto-immune disease, the effects of which are likely to lead to her dying within the next decade. At 34, she is determined to get the most out of life that she can.

Like last year's Scottish documentary examining albinism, Butterfly, this is a thoughtful and contemplative film, examining Melanie's outlook on life and her hopes and fears.

It also examines, by extension, the contrasts between city life and that in the countryside as Melanie is seen engaging in the full round of activities - helping out at church, feeding the animals - while saying that if she was still in the city, she would probably be dead. Her description of her life also shows the latent discrimination that she has to deal with every day, such as being unable to get a fulltime job or a mortgage.

Director Paul Gray has a background in photography and this is clearly evident, since he has a painterly eye when it comes to capturing the Scottish Highlands. A delicate portrait.