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The Courier
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Dundee-born director Michael Keillor on new BBC Lockerbie drama
Michael Keillor has vivid memories of the Lockerbie bombing. The Dundee-born film director, then a 15-year-old pupil at Monifieth High School, was on his way to Austria for a ski trip with his classmates on the night of the terrorist attack. 'We had to drive down the east coast of Scotland rather than the west coast to get to Luton Airport,' he recalls. 'And we drove past the scene [on the way home] just a few days after.' Michael adds: 'Looking back, it was such a big event in my life. It was such a shock. 'These were things you saw in the news all over the world, but to happen in Scotland was a huge thing.' On 21 December 1988, flight Pan Am 103 was en route from Heathrow to JFK when a bomb exploded in its hold over Lockerbie, killing 270 people, including 43 British citizens and 190 Americans. It was the worst ever terror attack on British soil and the first major act of terrorism against US citizens. Michael, whose shows include Roadkill, Chimerica and Line of Duty, has wanted to share the story on the big screen for many years. So his latest project – the forthcoming factual drama The Bombing of Pan Am 103 – is something of a milestone. The six-part BBC series, co-produced with Netflix, is based on the bombing of a passenger flight and the quest to bring its perpetrators to justice. Michael, who directed his first show in 2004, is known for his bold and ambitious projects which push boundaries. The 51-year-old, who lives between Angus and London, has been working on The Bombing of Pan Am 103 'non-stop' for two years. Speaking to me on the phone from the capital, he tells me he was asked to direct the series, written by Jonathan Lee, by the BBC in 2023. 'Once it came to me there's no way I couldn't do it, because it's such a big Scottish story, and I'm always pushing to tell the most relevant Scottish stories I can,' he says. Not only is the show – filmed in three countries over 19 weeks in spring 2024 – Michael's biggest project yet, it is also one of BBC Scotland's largest-ever productions. The team shot 15 weeks in Scotland, two weeks in Malta (where the story goes to) and two weeks in Canada (which is used as a replacement for Washington DC, where the FBI were based). Michael says: 'There's only certain people who would be able to do it, just because of the logistics of it. 'This is a complex thing, so I'm kind of lucky enough to be at that stage of my career, and it's nice to be asked.' Filming in Scotland took place in Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Livingston and Bathgate, all picked for their '1980s and 70s feel'. When it came to casting, Michael was keen to recruit a 'good cross-section of Scottish people', with the likes of Tony Curran and Peter Mullan cast in police officer roles. Big stars included Connor Swindells from Sex Education and Patrick J. Adams, well-known from American TV drama Suits. It's clear Michael felt a great deal of responsibility to honour the victims and tell their story as truthfully as possible. It's one reason he liaised with their families before filming took place, including at a town hall meeting in Lockerbie. He says: 'The idea was to get everyone on board as early as possible. '[The families] gave us an authenticity as well, because they often came to us with stories and facts that weren't written down anywhere.' He adds: 'Most of the families that we work with have seen it already, and were happy.' On a more practical level, the toughest challenge he faced was dealing with the 'sh*t' Scottish weather. The blustery conditions made shooting the aftermath of the crash – 'a street on fire at night for three or four days with hundreds of crew, hundreds of extras and multiple cameras' – even hairier than you might imagine. Michael, who bought his home near Carnoustie shortly before he took on The Bombing of Pan Am 103, is now ready for a period of reflection. He says: 'Right now, my plan is to come to Scotland and work in the house, sit on the beach and walk the dog. 'I don't know what's next, but [The Bombing of Pan Am 103] has certainly inspired me to work more in Scotland and find more stories to tell up here. 'London can be quite intense and quite work-focused, so it's nice to spend time at home. 'Also, I like being in Scotland – Scottish culture has always been quite inspiring. 'If you are looking for stories, then it's always nice to be nearby to see what's going on.' It turns out Michael is a fan of flipping through The Courier for ideas as well. Laughing, he says: 'There is always something crazy happening in Dundee!' The move north also means being closer to family, with his mum, his sister and her four children all in Broughty Ferry. But it is a big change for Michael, who relocated to London after graduating from Dundee University with a law degree in his early twenties. 'When I first started out, you had to do everything in London,' he says. 'But more and more, a lot more that's remote, and a lot of the filming isn't in London as well. 'So it kind of matters less where you live so much. 'Still – the creative nerve centre is London.' But the Scottish film industry is on a better footing these days, he says. 'There was nothing like The Bombing of Pan Am 103 being shot when I was just entering the film industry,' he says. 'The film industry in Scotland was much smaller, so there weren't opportunities to work on these big productions. 'It was exciting for me now to have all the runners and assistants and juniors able to work on a big show like this. 'They'll be the filmmakers of the future coming through. 'So maybe, they won't have to go to London to further their careers.' Dundee has also enjoyed a 'cultural shift' since his student days. While Michael was inspired to carve out a career in film after watching movies at The Steps Theatre in the Wellgate Centre (Trainspotting and Charlotte Gray opened his eyes to the fact that movies could be made in Scotland), the Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre (DCA) opened up after he graduated. 'It was a huge thing when that opened up,' Michael says. 'That sense of having art right in the Perth Road – and that it was okay to watch cool films – was massive.' He adds: 'And of course, the V&A opening as well, I think has just added to that. 'It's given Dundee a cultural renaissance. 'Having been away for a long time and coming back – I just feel like Dundee is culturally alive again.' Brian Cox's return to Dundee Rep in July to star in Make it Happen is further evidence of this. But like most of us, Michael wasn't able to get his hands on tickets for the sold-out show. He says: 'The fact that James Graham, who is a massive playwright and big TV writer, would launch a play in Dundee – that is a big thing. 'That is exciting. 'So it's nice to be around all that as well'.
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Inside new BBC drama that will bring 'closure to Lockerbie' 37 years on, says Scottish director
The series will focus on the aftermath of the tragedy Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The director of a new BBC drama charting the impact of Pan Am flight 103, which exploded over the town of Lockerbie, has said he hopes the series will bring 'closure' to residents more than 35 years on. Michael Keillor, from Dundee, who has worked on series including Line of Duty and EastEnders, said he had found that for some people in Lockerbie, the tragedy still 'feels so immediate'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He warned the town 'does not want to be defined' by the incident, which killed 270 people from 21 countries, including 11 local residents. The six-part series, The Bombing of Pan Am 103, examines the investigation into the attacks on both sides of the Atlantic and looks at the impact on people living in Lockerbie, including policemen and women who were first to the scene. A joint Scottish-US investigation, including the FBI, was launched to find the perpetrators. In 2001, a Scottish court in the Netherlands convicted Abdelbaset al-Megrahi of playing a central role in the bombing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Keillor said: 'I'm hoping there'll be a bit of a closure to it. A BBC drama sometimes rounds off a story which has been around for such a long time. Also, because we celebrate the ladies of Lockerbie, the people themselves in Lockerbie, and what they suffered from the plane crashing there, and the devastation. 'The visceral reality and shock of that is quite credible. We want to remind people that this was a massive thing, this plane exploded on the ground there, and the reverberations are still there. For some of the families, it's like this happened this year. It feels so immediate for them.' The crew opted to film in Lockerbie itself for just two days of the 16-week shoot, aware of the continued personal impact on local residents. Mr Keillor found younger people in the town were less aware of the tragedy, but for the older generations, its impact clearly remains. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said: 'For them [the younger generation], it's the stained glass window in the town hall. It's something that happened in the past and I didn't feel they were defined by it. But for older people, I don't know how you ever shake it [the connection] off. 'We were mindful of that, especially for the people in Lockerbie itself. They don't want to be defined by this, even though it unfortunately is the case.' Mr Keillor admits many locals were 'nervous' and 'reticent' about another drama focusing on the town. The series, a BBC co-production with Netflix, is being released just a year after Sky's Lockerbie series, starring Colin Firth. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They had mixed feelings,' he said. 'We went down into the town hall and spoke to locals and asked 'what do you feel about this? Do you want us to be here at all or not?' We didn't want to be somewhere we weren't wanted, and we didn't want to offend people. 'They were supportive, but at the same time, they are reticent of another telling of Lockerbie coming out.' The Bombing of Pan Am 103 will tell the story of the Lockerbie bombing. | CREDIT LINE:BBC/World Productions Areas of Lanarkshire and Livingston doubled as Lockerbie, while US-based scenes were generally shot in Glasgow, as well as Toronto, Canada. Filming of one of the most iconic scenes in the series - the moment the plane crashed into a row of houses - was kept well away from Lockerbie itself. Instead, the film crew utilised a disused shopping centre in Bathgate, where the scene was recreated. Using a gas flame, the row was set alight, creating a powerful image. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Obviously, it's a big part of our show, but also quite a sensitive scene as well, so it was good to have a location that is very controllable,' Mr Keillor said, describing a huge blaze accompanied by hundreds of extras, multiple cameras and cast. When the flame was turned off, crew were forced to don head torches to be able to see. Mr Keillor added: 'When they turn it off, it's completely pitch black and the whole street is covered in the actual debris. It made you realise what it must have been like for the emergency responders. 'A lot of people said this night has sat with them forever. Senior police we spoke to, who were quite young at the time, said it was defining of them as human beings, as police officers, in such a huge, horrific event. Even if they had later been homicide cops in Glasgow, there was nothing like this.' The team was keen to be historically accurate. The production acquired a nose cone of an original 747 plane, after abandoning plans to buy an entire period aircraft. But some buildings which still remained in the same form as they were in 1988 could not be used, due to development in the vicinity. Others, like the high school in Lockerbie, had been rebuilt in recent times, with scenes set there filmed in Hutcheson's Grammar in Glasgow. Ensuring accuracy was not always easy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It was 37 years ago and people remember things differently,' Mr Keillor said. 'I kept asking all the time 'where was this piece of material? Where was it found, what actually happened?' 'It's like a journalistic cross-examination. You had to have multiple sources to confirm things were correct. It's a massive responsibility of a project like this. You want to tell the truth as much as possible.' As a Scot who recalls the tragedy as a child, Mr Keillor was compelled to tell the story. 'There's lots of film production in Scotland, but it isn't often about a big Scottish story like this,' he said. 'As a Scottish director, Lockerbie was a massive part of my childhood. When there's a story to be told about how Scots faced up to that and dealt with it - a part of a story I didn't really know - I felt there was no way I could turn it down.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The series will look behind the scenes at the aftermath of the tragedy. | BBC/World Productions 'I would imagine that it has the same resonance in people of a certain age across the country. And for people younger, there's a bit of 'this happened in Scotland?'. It's incredible that an American 747 crashed in a town in Scotland and there was this huge investigation for years and years. 'It's quite an incredible story. I'm hoping that for a younger generation, there's an engagement of that being part of our national history.' Mr Keillor said he believes, however, the story behind the event will resonate with audiences across the globe, not just in Scotland. 'You don't have to know about Lockerbie,' he said. 'You don't have to know the specifics of this and the residents in Scotland for the story we've told, which is about - how do people deal with the aftermath of such an event, and what does investigation really look like, and why does it take so long, and what do you make sure to get the evidence absolutely right so you get a conviction, and what that does to the people involved? 'And that, hopefully, is interesting as a drama.'
