Documentary Short:

Co-produced with Scottish Documentary Institute for BBC Scotland and supported by Creative Scotland, The Tie that Binds is an intriguing tale about family secrets from Hark director and producer Holly Elson.

When her father discovered a letter among some old family papers it transformed Holly’s family. The contents of the letter revealed the secret life of her grandfather and set her father on a journey of discovery. The Tie that Binds unearths the extraordinary mystery at the heart of an ordinary family. Told through interviews with three family members, the film is an intriguing and intimate portrait of a family in transition, exploring identity and belonging, secrets and fragments of memory and ultimately the meaning of family.

Director: Holly Elson
Producer: Holly Elson (SDI Productions & Hark Pictures)
Executive Producers: Sonja Henrici & Noe Mendelle
Editor: Matthew Hale
Camera: Matthew Hale
Music: Carly Comando