There may have been a time when it was sufficient to have a place within one’s own family or small community. Without getting soppy and idealistic about it, earlier tribal systems at least provided a place of belonging and valuing. It seems to me that the collapse of this and the rise of the media means that we are all seeking recognition in a realm where by definition only a very few will achieve it.

Those who do find a place in the public eye, particularly in the artistic realm, often cast a long shadow. By this I mean that their 15 minutes of Warholism is built on years and years of struggle, pain, endurance and rejection. No one is interested in this period because it doesn’t make good copy. It’s not the path to instant success that so many are seeking. It’s the dark elephant in the room of achievement.

Another feature film I’m co-writing on explores the issues of fame, and their destructive effect on people who are ‘lucky’ enough to find it. When I hear people interviewed on the back of their artistic success, the thing I listen for these days is evidence of that long shadow.