Offended by Irvine Welsh
In this film Irvine Welsh sets out to reclaim the right to offend – but not abuse – as an essential tool for the artist.
Why is everyone so easily offended these days? Indignant, outraged, howling for justice over a social media post, a bad joke or a provocative image? The chatter is loud about threats to freedom of speech, of being cancelled, the impact of wokeness, the snowflake generation and how upset everyone is by everything.
Irvine is someone not adverse to a bit of controversy himself. His books tease and taunt. His protagonists are sexist sociopaths, racist policemen, murderers and addicts. He’s a man who’s built a career around the art of provocation by brilliantly challenging the perceptions and prejudices of his readers and audiences.
In this explorative journey, Irvine meet artists and writers who discuss the risk of offending in the current climate. Through several, informal conversations he talks to them about their belief in the right to offend and to be offended.
- Broadcaster:
Sky Arts
- TX Date:
October 2020
- Credits:
- Director/s: Mike Christie
- Producer/s: Mike Christie
- Exec Producer/s: Nick Catliff, Siobhan Mulholland