SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY: Reaching a new pinnacle on Skye

2nd July 2006

WHEN people talk about working from home they usually mean toiling away in a makeshift office in their bedroom. In the case of film producer Chris Young, though, it has meant taking off to the rugged mountains and dramatic seas around his home on Skye. This is where he is shooting the first-ever contemporary Gaelic feature film for general release, Seachd (The Inaccessible Pinnacle).

Young and his family moved to Skye in 1999. Since then he has produced the dark comedy The Final Curtain with Peter O'Toole and the Bafta-nominated Annie Griffin ensemble Festival. Young has discovered that you don't have to be based in London or Glasgow to maintain a productive, high-profile film career. Now, he is pushing the boundaries a little further with the production of Seachd on his own doorstep.

On a dreich day in June, it can be difficult to fully appreciate the charms of Skye. The mist is so thick I cannot see my own hand in front of my face. The temperature has dropped eight degrees since leaving Edinburgh. Inching along the narrow, winding road to Elgol becomes a mini-adventure interrupted by oncoming vehicles and unexpected sheep straying across the path.

The pier at Elgol is a small hive of activity. Suitably attired in waterproof clothing, a hardy team is preparing to shoot a scene in which a young boy and his grandfather steal a boat and take to the high seas. Umbrellas protect the cameras and sound equipment from the rain. Ironically, the past three weeks have seen Skye blessed with warm days and clear skies. When the boat sails through the mist in this scene it will emerge to stunning, sun-kissed views of the Cuillins that were shot earlier in the month. The contrast couldn't be more perfect.

Taking shelter in the production offices, Young explains the background to a film that is set to become a landmark in Gaelic culture.

"Since moving here I had wanted to do something in Gaelic," he says. "I'm interested in the language and culture and I speak a bit of Gaelic. My children are fluent. Being realistic and just wanting to put a toe in the water, the best idea was to make a short film, which would be quick and cheap. It would also solve my frustration at having spent three years developing projects which didn't happen."

By sheer coincidence, Young was approached by London Film School graduate Simon Miller asking if he might be interested in producing his short film. The basic elements of the story were an 800-year-old man and a mountain. "I remember getting back to him and saying OK, two conditions. One, the film has to be in Gaelic, and two, we shoot everything in my back garden or within a mile of my house. He said, no problem."

The short film Foighidinn (The Crimson Snowdrop) was screened at international film festivals, broadcast on the BBC and provided the inspiration for Seachd, a £655,000 feature film which has the financial backing of BBC Alba, Serbheis Nam Meadhannan Gaidhlig (GmS), Scottish Screen and the Glasgow Film Office. It tells the tale of a nine-year-old boy Aonghas, played by Padruig Morrison, whose parents are killed in a tragic climbing accident. When he is sent to live with his grandparents in the shadow of the Cuillin mountain range, his grandfather, who claims to be an 800-year-old man, tells him magical, tall tales that end up playing a vital part in the boy's coming to terms with what has happened.

"It was important to me that we respected Gaelic culture but that the film was contemporary, plausible and not contrived," Young says. "There is a lot of Gaelic drama, but some of it feels like EastEnders translated into Gaelic, which is meaningless, or it feels very nostalgic and not of the moment. I thought if we set ourselves carefully in a domestic context where the main character is a boy who is being brought up by this 800-year-old grandfather, then the incredibly rich Gaelic storytelling tradition is actually part of the fabric of the boy's world."

The importance of the film to Gaelic culture is marked by the calibre of those involved. Gaelic bard Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul plays the grandfather. Writer Iain Finlay MacLeod and poet Aonghas MacNeacail have contributed to the script. Today, Sir Iain Noble, the financier who has an estate on Skye, is also preparing to play a small role. "I'm hoping this will be the first step to Hollywood," he jokes.

Young believes that the more integrity the film has, the more chance it has of making an international impact. "It doesn't apologise for being an arthouse, subtitled film," he says. "But it is a strong story with a big emotional heart and I'm looking to the success of films like Bombon El Perro and Whale Rider as our references."

Right now, though, Young has to leave his shelter and brave the wind and rain once more. He has been called back to the set where a local resident has gamely agreed to slip from the pier and fall into the water as he pursues the boy and his grandfather. It is a mark of the community's wholehearted support of the project. He will perform the stunt twice, emerging sodden but cheerful on both occasions, happy to be playing his part in the creation of this unique film.

• Seachd will be released in 2007.

by Allan Hunter

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Nuair a bhruidhneas daoine mu dheidhinn a bhi ag obair bhon taigh chleachd dhaibh a bhi a' ciallachadh saothair ann an nàdar de dh'oifis nan seòmar-leabaidh. Ach ann an suidheachadh an riochdaire-fiolm Crìsdean Young, 's ann a tha e a' ciallachadh siubhal gu na beanntan fàs is muir tarraingeach timcheall air an taigh aige anns an Eilean Sgìtheanach. Sin far a bheil e a' clàradh a' chiad fiolm slàn Gàidhlig den là an diugh a thathas a' sùileachadh a thig a-mach gu taighean-dealbh san fharsaingeachd - Seachd.

Ghluais Young agus a theaghlach dhan Eilean Sgìtheanach ann an 1999.

Bhon uairsin riochdaich e an dealbh a tha an dà chuid èibhinn is dorch ris an canar The Final Curtain le Peadar O' Toole agus Festival le Anna Griffin a chuireadh air adhart son duais BAFTA.

Fhuair Young a-mach nach ruigeadh tu a leas a bhi stèidhichte ann an Lunnainn na Glaschu son a obair fiolm le inbhe àrd a bhi agad. Tha e a-nis a' feuchainn ris an obair aige a leudachadh le a bhi a' riochdachadh Seachd air a starsach fhèin.

Tha e duilich gabhail a-steach cho tlachdmhor is a tha an t-Eilean Sgìtheanach air là mì-chàilear san Ògmhios. Tha an ceò cho tiugh is nach fhaic mi mo làmh fhìn ma chuireas mi a-mach i rom aodann. A thaobh blàths, thuit a' ghlainne ochd ceum bho dh' fhàg mi Dùn Èideann. 'S e eachdraidh a th'anns an turas slaodach air an rathad cumhaing lùbach gu Ealaghol, agus corra charbad is caora a' tighinn orm. Tha còmhdach ceò air Ealaghol, agus tha uisge gun sguir a' cur faileas fliuch air a h-uile càil. Is maith dh'fhaoidte nach tarraing aimsir mar seo luchd-turais ach chan eil a shamhail ann ma thathas ag iarraidh Seachd a chlàradh.

Tha daoine ag obair gu trang air cidhe Ealaghol. Le aodach orra gus an dìon bhon uisge, tha sgioba tapaidh a' dèanamh deiseil gus pìos a chlàradh sam bheil balach is a sheanair a' goid bàta agus ga thoirt gu muir. Tha sgàilean-uisge a' dìon nan camara agus nan uidheam fuaim bhon tuil. Gu h-annasach, 'S ann a tha deagh aimsir air a bhi anns an Eilean Sgìtheanach anns na trì seachdainean a chaidh seachad, làithean blàtha, speuran soilleir, agus grian. Nuair a sheòlas an soitheach tron cheò anns a' phìos seo coinnichidh e ri seallaidhean àlainn den Chuiltheann anns a' ghrian, dealbhan a thogadh bho chionn beagan sheachdainean. Cha b' urrainn dhan eadar-dhealachadh a bhi càil as freagarraiche.

E a' faighinn fasgaidh anns na h-oifisean riochdachaidh, tha Young a' mìneachadh na th'air cùlaibh fiolm a tha gu bhi fìor chudromach ann an cultar na Gàidhlig. "Bhon a thàinig mi bha mi ag iarraidh rud a dhèanamh anns a' Ghàidhlig," ars esan. "Tha ùidh agam anns a' chànain agus bruidhnidh mi beagan Gàidhlig. Tha mo chuid chloinne fileanta. Bho shealladh na ghabhadh a dhèanamh agus mi dìreach ag iarraidh an gnothaich fheuchainn, b' e an dòigh a b' fheàrr fiolm goirid a dhèanamh, a bhiodh sgiobalta agus saor. Chuireadh e às cuideachd dham mhì-thoileachas mu dheidhinn trì bliadhna a chaitheamh ag ullachadh pròiseactan nach tànaig gu càil."

Thurchairt e gun tàinig fear, Sìm Miller - a cheumnaich bho Sgoil Fiolm Lunnainn - a dh' fhaighneachd dha Young an riochdaicheadh e am fiolm goirid aige. B' e cnàimhean na sgeulachd fireannach 800 bliadhna a dh' aois agus beinn. "Tha cuimhne agam freagairt a chuir thuige agus a bhi ag ràdh gun dèanainn e ach gun fheumte gabhail ri dà nì. An toiseach, gun fheum am fiolm a bhi ann an Gàidhlig, agus a-rithist, gun clàraich sinn a h-uile càil anns a' ghàradh agam na taobh staigh mìle bhon taigh agam. Thuirt e nach biodh trioblaid sam bith an sin."

Nochd am fiolm Foighidinn aig fèisean fiolm eadar-nàiseanta, chaidh e a-mach air a' BhBC, agus 's e bhrosnaich Seachd, a tha a' cosg £655,000 airgead a thathas a' faighinn bho BhBC Alba, Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig (GMS), Scottish Screen, agus Oifis Fiolm Ghlaschu.

Tha am fiolm ag innse sgeulachd balaich naoi bliadhna a dh'aois, Aonghas, ga chluich le Pàdraig Moireasdan. Bhàsaich a phàrantan ann an tubaist a' sreap nam beann agus chuireadh am balach a dh'fhuireach còmhla ri sheanair is a sheanmhair. Dh'innis a sheanair, a tha a' cumail a-mach gu bheil e 800 bliadhna a dh'aois, sgeulachdan de dhraoidheachd is buidseachd a tha a' cuideachadh leis a' bhalach a thaobh dèiligeadh ri mar a thachair dha.

"Bha e cudromach gun tug sinn urram dha cultar na Gàidhlig ach gum biodh am fiolm cuideachd stèidhichte san là an diugh, s gun gabhadh a chreidsinn," thuirt Young. "Tha tòrr dràma Gàidhlig ann. Ach tha mòran dheth a' faireachdainn coltach ri Eastenders air eadar-theangachadh gu Gàidhlig, anns nach eil brìgh sam bith, na tha e a' coimhead air ais is nach eil e a' faireachdainn coltach ri rud a bhuineas dhan là an diugh.

Shaoil mi gun chruthaicheadh sinn suidheachadh timcheall air balach agus a sheanair de dh' 800 bliadhna ga thogail. Tha sin a' ciallachadh gu bheil dualchas beartas sgeulachdan is seanchas na Gàidhlig nam pàirt de shaoghal a' bhalaich."

Tha cho cudromach is a tha am fiolm seo dha cultar na Gàidhlig ri fhaicinn leis an fheadhainn aig a bheil ainm ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig.

Tha am bàrd is sgrìobhadair Gàidhlig Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul a' cluich an seanair. Chuidich an sgrìobhadair Iain Fionnlagh MacLeòid agus am bàrd Aonghas Dubh MacNeacail leis a' chòmhradh. Agus an diugh fhèin tha Sir Iain Noble a' dèanamh deiseil gus pàirt bheag a chluich. Thuirt e: "Tha mi a' faicinn seo mar a chiad cheum gu Hollywood."

A-rèir Young mas ann nas dlùth dhan chultar a tha am fiolm 's ann a tha e nas coltaiche gun soirbhich leis gu eadar-nàiseanta. "Chan eileas ag iarraidh lethsgeul son a bhi na phìos taigh-ealdhain le fo-thiotalan," arsa esan. "Ach 's e sgeulachd làidir a th'ann le cridhe làn faireachdainn, agus tha mi a' coimhead ri mar a shoirbhich le fiolmaichean samhail Bombon El Perro agus Whale Rider."

Ach an-dràsta, feumaidh Young a fhasgadh fhàgail agus a dhol a-mach dhan uisge is gaoth a-rithist. Chaidh a ghairm air ais gu far a bheileas a' clàradh agus fear a bhuineas dhan sgìre air aontachadh gu duineil tuiteam bhon chidhe dhan bhùrn agus e a' leantainn a' bhalaich is a sheanair. Tha e a' sealltainn taic na coimhearsnachd dhan phròiseict gu bheileas air aontachadh am pìos a dhèanamh dà thuras, agus e a' tighinn a-mach gu dòigheil ach air a fhliuchadh an dà thuras. Tha e toilichte a phàirt a chluich anns am fiolm air leth a tha seo.

• Tha Seachd ga dheasachadh an-dràsta agus thig e a-mach ann an 2007.

by Murdo MacLeod

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/review.cfm?id=961782006