My poignant birthday gift to a little big man

LAST Thursday I was delighted to win a Bafta in Scotland New Talent Award for my short documentary, Kirkcaldy Man, about Jocky Wilson.

I was especially pleased because it was his birthday and I looked forward to sending the award and a copy of the film to Jocky, who hadn’t seen it. Now I feel sad and guilty for not having sent the film earlier.

My graduate film from Edinburgh College of Art was inspired by a fascination with darts, which isn’t popular in my native Germany, and the stories I had heard about its greatest Scottish player.

I went in search of him in his home town of Kirkcaldy and built up a picture of him from the people I met. Jocky wouldn’t take part. In fact, the closest I got was talking to his wife, Malvina.