Skip to content

'We've built a film archive of Edinburgh life'

Take a look inside the secret cinema club that has been documenting Edinburgh life since the 1930s.

The film theatre at 23 Fettes Row looks like an ordinary basement flat but is home to the Edinburgh Cine and Video Society which was founded in 1936.

But changes in technology have seen numbers dwindle since the 1980s, and now the club is about to open its doors in an attempt to attract new members.

The society's secretary, Stewart Emm, gave BBC Scotland a tour behind the scenes.

23 February 2023

Explore More

Actor Jeff Goldblum with a thumbs up while sat at a piano in St Pancras station

Jeff Goldblum plays piano at London rail station

Jon M. Chu wearing a green tuxedo, Cynthia Erivo wearing a black dress and Ariana Grande wearing a lemon dress attend the UK Premiere of "Wicked: Part One" at The Royal Festival Hall on 18 November 2024 in London, England

Wicked stars take to the green carpet for European premiere

A shoplifter with face blurred gathers up a bundle of green gloves with furry lining from a shelf in a clothes shop.

Moment Royal Mile thief stuffs gloves into his trousers

Edinburgh, Fife & East

King Charles shaking hands with Pedro Pascal, with Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal standing nearby

King joins stars at Gladiator II premiere in London

Olivia Gallosi is on the left and has brown hair, a yellow jumper and a brown jacket. She has headphones around her neck and a rucksack on her back. Roni Sharp is on the right and is wearing a purple jumper and has a pink bag on her shoulder. There are buildings in the background.

Edinburgh University students tell of discrimination on campus

Edinburgh, Fife & East

A young surfer with a green helmet rides through a crashing white wave. A person in a red jacket watches over a brown wall.

Europe's largest inland surf resort opens in disused quarry

Edinburgh, Fife & East

An old black and white picture shows firefighters on a fire engine as it leaves the fire station through a brick archway

How Scotland's first fire brigade inspired the world

Edinburgh, Fife & East

Firework explodes on the top or a building behind a traffic island sending red and yellow sparks showering metres in all directions.

Watch: Fireworks set off on Scottish streets on Bonfire Night

Rare pygmy hippo calf at Edinburgh Zoo standing on some hay

Meet Haggis - the rare pygmy hippo born at Edinburgh zoo

Edinburgh, Fife & East

Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones on gangsters, David Bowie and Picasso

Dan MacNee standing in his cluttered flat in a red jumper and black jacket spattered with white and yellow paint.

'My hoarding makes me uncomfortable, but it's my life'

Edinburgh, Fife & East

Al Pacino

Al Pacino on near-death, The Godfather and his phone case

BBC Scotland political correspondent Kirsten Campbell

Take a look at the Scottish Parliament building on its 20th birthday

Sonny, who has short black hair and is wearing a black rain coat, walking through Edinburgh's Grassmarket area during one of his guided tours of the city.

'I was homeless - now I show tourists my city's hidden side'

Edinburgh, Fife & East

Co-directors of Lothians Speak Their Name

Stitched with love: Suicide memorial quilt brings comfort to bereaved

Edinburgh, Fife & East

An independent review found that Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre had not put survivors first.

Rape Crisis Scotland boss apologises to rape survivors over support centre failings

Edinburgh, Fife & East

James Earl Jones

'I love being part of that whole Darth Vader myth'

Worker bee being born from honeycomb cell

Watch as a worker bee is born

Edinburgh, Fife & East

Amal and George Clooney appear shocked on seeing a photographer falling

Clooney helps fallen photographer at Venice Film Festival

Dewis Morris pictured alongside other Grand Slam cast members. He is young, wearing a black cap and has a handlebar moustache. He is wearing a roll neck jumper, scarf and leather jacket - the whole photo is black and white.

Star looks back at Welsh rugby film Grand Slam

BBC Scotland weather presenter Christopher Blanchett in front of a weather map of Scotland showing snow warnings.

Watch the Storm Bert weather forecast for Scotland

Storm Bert looks set to bring more heavy snowfall across the Scotland over the weekend.

BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell lying on the ground with a blue beanie hat and wrapped in a silver blanket

‘I wanted to show what having a seizure was like’

BBC Scotland's political editor Glenn Campbell has been describing his journey since being diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour.

Weather presenter Christopher Blanchett standing in front of a large-scale photograph of wintry conditions

Weather forecast: First taste of winter in Scotland

Arctic air has been working its way in from the north, bringing cold temperatures that for the coming days.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn

Flynn: Reaction to 2026 Holyrood bid 'not pleasant'

The SNP Westminster leader will stand for the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine seat

Veterans during Edinburgh's Armistice Day event. One of them is saluting while the other have heads bowed while holding flags downward.

Watch: Armistice Day tributes take place across Scotland

The traditional 11 November two-minute period of remembrance took place at 11:00 across the country.

Three rescuers wearing life jackets and hard hats work to free a humpback whale in a sea loch

Humpback whale tangled in creel lines set free

Experts used underwater cameras to work out how the whale was trapped, before untangling it in Loch Fyne.

Sandy Duthie from Aberdeenshire is now the lighthouse keeper on Gabo Island, in Victoria

The Scot in charge of an Australian lighthouse

Sandy Duthie from Aberdeenshire is now the lighthouse keeper on Gabo Island, in Victoria

Police stand next to a blue trawler vessel moored in a harbour

Watch: Police target fishing boat over 'modern slavery' claim

A 38-year-old man was arrested and two Ghanaian men were removed from the vessel as part of the operation.

Gloved hand picking up one of five Lewis chessmen. Two are facing the camera and three away from the camera.

See a brand new view of the Lewis chessmen

Ten of the intricately-carved pieces have been redisplayed in a case which allows visitors to see their backs for the first time.

The Jacobite Express steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands

Repairing Scotland's historic 'Harry Potter' bridge

Engineers have been working day and night on the Glenfinnan Viaduct as part of a £3.4m restoration project.

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, wearing a blue top and black coat, stands beside Alex Salmond, wearing a blue shirt and dark jacket

Salmond death was shock to all in North Macedonia - Ahmed-Sheikh

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh says people in North Macedonia wanted to pay tribute to Alex Salmond.

Waves can be seen overtopping the barrier at Troon. The sky is grey and sea mist is being blown high by the wind.

Watch: Stormy waters and high winds as storm hits Scotland

Storm Ashley could cause gusts of up to 70-80 mph (113-129km/h) in some areas of Scotland.

Gillian Smart wears a red and black dress. She presents the weather in front of a green screen which forecasts high winds across Scotland.

The latest weather forecast as Storm Ashley hits Scotland

Gillian Smart has the latest weather forecast, as a yellow warning for high winds gusting up to 60 mph (97km/h) is in force across the whole of Scotland.

North Macedonian soldiers carrying Alex Salmond's coffin draped in a Saltire towards a private jet

Alex Salmond’s coffin flown home to Scotland

A plane carrying Alex Salmond's body has left North Macedonia and is being flown back to Scotland.

Black and white horse sticking its head out of a barn door while a police officer feeds it

Watch: Training police horses to help deal with public disorder

The BBC has been given an exclusive insight into the training of police horses when it comes to dealing with public order.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, wears a blue suit and glasses, as he stands in the House of Commons. Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves sit either side of him on the benches.

Salmond was a monumental figure in politics - Starmer

Prime Minister Keir Starmer pays tribute to the 'lasting legacy' of Alex Salmond.

Chris McEleny of the Alba Party speaks to the BBC via Zoom from Zagreb in Croatia

'Can't believe it's happened' - Salmond's Alba colleague

Chris McEleny of the Alba Party is travelling to North Macedonia, where Alex Salmond died on Saturday.

Calum MacColl

BBC weather presenter bursts into song live on air

Calum MacColl sung the Gaelic song that won him a gold medal at the Royal National Mòd in 2021.

Sally Magnusson sits in a darkened room wearing blue-rimmed glasses, a white top and a burgundy blazer

Sally Magnusson hears how a cure for Alzheimer's is 'within our grasp'

Sally Magnusson hears how testing for early symptoms of Alzheimer's could help find a cure for the condition.

Snow expert Iain Cameron, wearing glasses and a great rain jacket, poses next to the Sphinx snow patch, which is about one metre wide and is melting into the ground below.

My pilgrimage to the vanishing Sphinx snow patch

The Sphinx, a patch of snow thought to be the longest-lasting in the UK, has melted for the fourth consecutive year.