[2][3][4] Using a combination of interviews, archive material and specially-shot footage, the film traces the development of a post-punk scene in Scotland, tracing its roots in the punk explosion of 1977 and its effect on the Edinburgh music scene, with the emergence of bands such as Scars and The Dirty Reds and the appearance of record label Fast Product, which went on to release records by The Human League, The Mekons, Joy Division and Gang of Four.
The film goes on to chart (and contrast) the rise and fall of Glasgow's poppier Postcard Records, home to Orange Juice and east-coast defectors, Josef K. While primarily regarded as a music documentary, McPhee has stated that he sees Big Gold Dream as a study of creative autonomy and DIY culture: “Despite its billing, this film is not a history of Scottish punk or independent music.
[6] McPhee attributes this to a dearth of available resources, stating that "in the early days things moved very slowly, equipment and time were expensive so we had to save up for a while to do each interview – and that was frustrating.
The film was roundly well-received, including 8/10 in Uncut,[9] 4* in Mojo,[10] 4* in Record Collector Magazine[11] and 5* in Musikexpress,[12] as well as positive reviews in the Scotsman[13] and Louder than War.
After the film was screened on BBC 2 it led to a large amount of positive press in newspapers and online articles including Vice, Dazed and Pitchfork.
[23] 'The source interviews for Big Gold Dream and The Glasgow School were revisited for the 2022 book, Hungry Beat, an oral history of Fast Product and Postcard Records.