Janey

An honest, moving and often hilarious documentary about comic Janey Godley, interweaving stories from her life with footage from her Not Dead Yet tour in the wake of her cancer diagnosis.

Year: 2024

Director: John Archer

Producer: John Archer

Executive Producers: Mark Thomas, David Harron, Clara Glynn

Production Company: Hopscotch Films

Screen Scotland support: The film accessed £75,000 through Screen Scotland’s Broadcast Content Fund to support this documentary from Glasgow-based production company Hopscotch Films, as well as £15,000 through Screen Scotland's Distribution Fund.


Synopsis 

An honest, moving and often hilarious documentary about comic Janey Godley, interweaving stories from her life with footage from her Not Dead Yet tour in the wake of her cancer diagnosis. Janey Godley takes centre stage in John Archer’s engaging and insightful documentary about the fearless and funny comic. Janey found fame for her sweary anti-Trump placards and became a social media sensation as she revoiced First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s Covid briefings. “First I was cancelled, then I got cancer,” Janey notes as she recalls being called out for racist historic tweets, apologising and then trying to rebuild her career before receiving her diagnosis. That didn’t stop her from going on tour and Archer interweaves fly-on-the-wall footage with interviews from people such as Jimmy Carr, Nicola Sturgeon, and Janey's daughter, Ashley, that reveal details of a difficult Glasgow childhood.

Janey Godley stands on stage holding a microphone. She has short white hair, glasses and wears a great sweatshirt with a red and gold glittery heart on itStills from Janey. Courtesy of Hopscotch Films.

More information 

The film will have its world premiere as the closing night film of Glasgow Film Festival 2024.

Janey will be screened on BBC Scotland on Tuesday 14 May at 10pm.