Kickstarter

Edinburgh, Scotland is one of the few cities in the UK where rickshaw drivers operate. It's also one of the hardest places to ride a rickshaw, all steep hills and old cobblestones.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

We find our main character, a rickshaw driver, at the end of his run. After being told any more work will damage his knees permanently, he's now on a mission. He's got a target, a set numbers of nights left and he's going to make the best of it.

He's looking forward to be done, but after two years, it's become his life. All his friends are pedicabbers, buskers, night folk... They all live on a different schedule than the rest of the world and it's something they share and enjoy. Everything's a little different at night.

THAT'S NICE.

Unfortunately, as it goes, 'the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley'. He soon finds himself on his worst night ever, with pain constantly shooting through his knees and neds (local scottish yoof!) trying to steal his comfy blanket and meager earnings.

As the night threatens to end with nothing to show for, he reluctantly agrees to take three less-than-friendly lads on his most gruelling ride yet, up to the Edinburgh Castle. It's an unrelenting pointless lift, and he struggles to keep going.

A local group of buskers comes to the rescue, providing him with the soundtrack (and the second wind) to redeem his night.

'Three-Legged Horses' is based on real events and happenings I witnessed or experienced during my years working as a rickshaw driver in Edinburgh and Dublin. The climactic scene is the best thing that's ever happened to me on a rickshaw and one of the best moments in my life. It has now become somewhat of a ritual for Edinburgh pedicabbers.

IT'S SCOTTISH, IT MUST BE GRIM, THEN?

It's a fast-paced, funny, slightly surreal look at the people who choose (or have) to work in the night-time, those out and about going out of their minds, and the others simply looking for a good story to tell on Monday morning. It highlights the simple but strong connections made between people who take a chance on odd jobs, where their success depends on creativity and personality.

Our first short filum 'Tixeon' - about finding alternatives in a future society that provides none - won the top prize at the Anonimul Independent Film Festival and the prize money is helping us fund this one, but it's nowhere near enough. With the UK Film Council recently abolished, all funding is frozen until they figure out what will replace it. As we've got some good buzz going from our first short, we're intending to keep at it and raise it ourselves. Independent all the way.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY, SON?

The music rights for this alone are through the roof. A powerhouse of a local band has kindly agreed to play the buskers and the one particular song that a drunken man started clapping to, when he saw me struggling all those years ago. It attracted passerbys and buskers who joined in and pushed me all the way to the top. It's not just the quality of the song, it's the personal memories it has accumulated through the decades. It makes people happy and brings incredibly positive reactions out of them.

The rest of the money will be used for sound design, equipment hire and festival applications.

WHO'S GOING TO WANT TO SEE THIS?

Anyone who's ever taken a chance on something stupid, because it made them happy. It's a total triumph over adversity tale. With fantastic music. And if you know anything about Edinburgh, you'll know it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world, making anything set in it, positively epic-looking. We're going to send this all over the world. We think it'll do a lot of good.

WHO'S MAKING IT?

Debasers Filums was formed by self-made filmmakers, bound by their friendship and their love for films. It was all a good laugh until someone gave us an award. Now we're dead serious.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3939522/

Our DP is Belgian legend, Frederic Plasman:

http://www.fredericplasman.com/

Our talented and hardworking crew are film industry professionals who are donating their time for this particular project.

Thank you for your support! You won't be disappointed.

Photos by Graham Clark

http://www.grahamclarkphotographer.com/

Find us on Twitter @debasersfilums and become a fan on Facebook, http://tiny.cc/7l4z6