The Party's Just Beginning 2018

Liusaidh, a 24-year-old woman from Inverness, Scotland, finds herself trapped in a monotonous job selling cheese at a local supermarket. To escape her mundane reality, she often indulges in excessive drinking and casual encounters with strangers. This self-destructive behavior stems from her unresolved grief over the suicide of her best friend, Alistair, who tragically jumped off a bridge in front of a train nearly a year ago. As the story unfolds, we see glimpses of her memories with Alistair, depicting a young woman deeply affected by loss.

One eventful night, Liusaidh meets a man in a bar and the two share a brief, passionate encounter. To her shock, he later tracks her down, leading to a few more clandestine meetings. However, the fleeting romance takes a sharp turn when he reveals that he must return home.

As Liusaidh meanders home one night, she finds herself at the very bridge where Alistair took his life. There, she stumbles upon the stranger, Dale, who appears to be on the brink of death himself. Using her words, she manages to pull him back from the edge, and they begin to form a bond. Yet, when she asks him to stay, Dale chooses to depart, leaving Liusaidh alone once more.

As her life spirals downward, Liusaidh loses her job after consecutive absences. On Christmas, marking the anniversary of Alistair’s death, she succumbs to darkness and is assaulted by three men. In the midst of her despair, she returns home, where she finds her mother socializing with friends, oblivious to her pain. In a moment of vulnerability, she reaches out to an old man she has been confiding in throughout the film—an individual who himself has faced the consequences of his actions in the wake of his wife’s passing.

During their phone conversation, Liusaidh opens her heart about her trauma, breaking down in tears. Her father overhears, prompting a conversation just as she attempts to leave. Overwhelmed, she makes her way back to the bridge where Alistair died, contemplating ending her own life. However, at the last moment, she chooses hope over despair. She returns home to face her parents, reconciles with her past, and resolves to lead a more fulfilling life, ready to embrace the future.