My Old School

My Old School is a 2022 documentary directed by Jono McLeod on the subject of the Brandon Lee scandal. In 1995, it was discovered that "Brandon Lee"—who had a year earlier enrolled as a fifth-year student at Bearsden Academy secondary school in Bearsden, Scotland—had actually been a 32-year-old former student, Brian MacKinnon, posing as a 16-year-old. The story attracted widespread and sensational news coverage at the time. McLeod, the film's director, was one of MacKinnon's peers at Bearsden Academy. The story of MacKinnon's time at Bearsden and his unmasking are told through a combination of present-day interviews with MacKinnon's classmates and teachers, cartoon recreations, and archival footage. MacKinnon agreed to be interviewed for the film, but did not wish to appear on camera, so the actor Alan Cumming appears as an avatar for MacKinnon, lip syncing to the audio of his interviews. The film premiered virtually at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.