Afterlife is a thoughtful British film about life and death, set in Scotland, with a good cast that makes the best of a decent script from Dear Frankie scriptwriter Andrea Gibb.

Lindsay Duncan plays May, who is dying of cancer. She has been the mother/carer over decades of her daughter Roberta (Paula Sage), who has Down's Syndrome. The ubiquitous Kevin McKidd, who seems to be everywhere these days, plays her elder son Kenny, who once wanted to be a doctor but is now trying to carve out a career that will take him to America as a journalist.

Much of the film is taken up with May's fight against cancer, Kenny's romance with local camera artist Ruby (Shirley Henderson) and his slow process in getting to know Roberta, in terms of looking after her, as well as sporadically attempting to keep a career on track.

It is a satisfying bittersweet drama that obviously comes across in a very authentic manner. Kenny must look to a future that now involves Roberta, as his mother is dying (there's little mention of a biker father, who seems to have ridden off into the sunset). It's very believable and anyone who has acted as a carer will sympathise with May's position and Kenny's discovery of new responsibilities.

Although the film may seem to be slightly disturbing towards the end, it's also uplifting, showing how life can lead you into mysterious career choices that may seem the worst of all beginnings, but don't necessarily work out that way.

Afterlife is an impressive feature debut for actor-turned-director Alison Peebles and a worthy winner of the Edinburgh International Film Festival's Audience Award of 2003.