Sabhal Mòr Ostaig , Sleat, Isle of Skye, 10 May 2008

From Seachd - 'The Inaccessible Pinnacle'

TERRY WILLIAMS finds plenty of promise in the work of some very young Gaelic film-makers, encouraged by the success of Chris Young’s Seachd – The Inaccessible Pinnacle.

RESH FROM their world première at the Celtic Media Festival in Galway, young film-makers from Plockton and Portree High Schools and Sleat Primary School presented three new Gaelic films at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

This remarkable first project from An Sgàilean Ùr (the New Screen) is the brainchild of Morag Stewart (TV producer) and Chris Young (producer of the Gaelic feature film Seachd: the Inaccessible Pinnacle). They hope to encourage a new generation of Gaelic film-makers by offering professional guidance to school pupils in producing their own films. The project is funded by Bord na Gàidhlig (The Gaelic Board), Seirbhis nam Meadhanan Ghàidhlig (Gaelic Media Service) and Highland Council.

Bòb am Bòcan: Bob the Ghost (Sleat), Robo-sgoil: Robot School (Plockton) and Am Poca Guail: The Bag of Coal (Portree) are all five-minute films, in Gaelic with English sub-titles. Each took just three days to produce – one for the script and preparation, one for filming and one for post-production. The pupils, between 10 and 12 years old, were “mentored” by a small team of professionals, but took responsibility for every aspect: storyboarding, scripting, casting, acting, filming, directing, editing… they even composed and performed their own sound-tracks.

The standard of work throughout is impressive, with imaginative use of special effects, some excellent acting, convincing dialogue and three good, strong storylines. Bob am Bocan has magic, danger and a ghost in need of help during a school trip. Robo Sgoil’s two intrepid sleuths held the audience in suspense as they struggled to overcome the evil school janitor; while Peggy’s adventures in Am Poca Guail had everyone in fits of laughter.

After the screening, the young film-makers held a question and answer session where they showed almost as much fluency in the language of film production as in Gaelic and English. If this is the standard we can expect from An Sgàilean Ùr, the future for Gaelic film-making in the area looks very promising.

The films are available on DVD and have already been sold to BBC Alba and the Gaelic Media Service -some of these young people could become familiar names before too long!

© Terry Williams, 2008