Ahead of the official film release, Scottish artist Megan Black shares “Something Golden,” a new single she’s written for an upcoming British short film called The Programme. The film premiered this spring in Digbeth, ahead of showings at several film festivals and a general release on 7th November 2024.
Megan Black’s haunting soundtrack skillfully captures the film’s dark undertones while infusing it with heart and grit. Talking about the song, Megan says, “I started working on this project whilst I was going through my own diagnosis of autism and ADHD. I felt real grief and a sense of loss that I had never really understood myself. Sam and the team behind The Programme have been a joy to work with—they really understand what it means to be neurodivergent and why spreading this awareness is so important. Grief in my own life had left me feeling numb and writing this soundtrack came along at the right time—it was healing—there really is ‘something golden’ about that.”
The Programme is the first short film from award-winning writer and director Sam Grierson. It was an Official Selection at the Little Venice Film Festival, New York International Women’s Film Festival, and Sykehouse Film Festival, with a nomination for Best Actress for Michelle Jeram (BBC Granite Harbour, Liar, Eastenders, The Split).
The work began after a two-year writing hiatus triggered by the devastating loss of Sam’s best friend to suicide. The resulting film sparks reflection and reshapes perceptions, encouraging an understanding of the intricate layers of grief and the complex intersectionality of neurodivergent experiences. Sam is LGBTQIA+, autistic, and ADHD. Grierson’s film exposes us for believing in stereotypes, exposes society for marginalising people, and displays in no uncertain terms that everyone deserves to be centre stage. A neurodivergent subject encourages us to examine universal fears.
