An interview with Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul (Grandfather)

Cò às a tha thu, càil thu a' fuireach 's ciamar a

thàinig thu gu bhith nad chleasaiche ann an Seachd? Where are you from, where do you live and how did you become an actor in Seachd?

[APC] Rugadh is thogadh mi ann an UIbhist-a-Deas, a bha làn de dheagh dhaoine agus tràighean àlainn. Tha mi nise a' fuireach san Eilean Sgitheanach,làn de dheagh dhaoine eile agus beanntan àlainn! Thug an Stiùiriche, Sìm Miller, agus an Rochdaire, Chris Young, cuireadh dhomh feuchainn air: chriochnaich mi mar sheanair aois 700 anns am film!  I was born and brought up on the Island of South Uist - great people and great beaches! I know live on the Island of Skye - great people and great mountains! I became an actor in Seachd when the Director, Simon Miller, came to my back door and asked me to come for an audition. I was persuaded by my friend Chris Young, the Producer who lives locally, and so ended up growing my own beard and taking one of the two lead-roles!

Dè an diofar a tha eadar cleasachd agus sgrìobhadh?How does acting compare with writing?

[APC] Ann an sgrìobhadh tha thu a' cruthachadh saoghal tro do mhac-mheanmna fhèin. Ann an cleasachd tha saoghal air a thoirt dhut son a' chruthachadh às ùr na do mhac-meanmna. In writing, you tend to create a multi-layered world on your own. In acting you do the reverse: take a multi-layered world and make it your

own.

An do rinn thu gin dhe na loidhneachan suas?Did you help with any of the lines?

[APC] Bhruidhinn mi cho nàdarra sa b' urrainn dhomh - mar sin nochd grunn rudan nach robh san scriopt idir an toiseach.Hopefully each line became my own through interpretation, diction, accent and voice. Some I invented, or at least emerged naturally in terms of what my character, The Grandfather, would actually say.

Dè an sgeulachd aig Seanair as fheàrr leat? Which story told by Grandfather is your favourite?

[APC] Sgeulachd a' ghràidh, far a bheil Seanair diùltadh leigeil leis an ogha, Aonghas Òg, gach nì a thrèigsinn.  The 'untold' one: the story of the Prodigal Son, where Grandfather refuses to let his grandson lose the most precious things.

An do rinn thu fhèin gach cleas ann an Seachd?  Did you do all your stunts for Seachd?

[APC] Rinn. Eadar leum a-steach dhan uisge, gu seinn! Yes. Agreed to be covered in baby-powder. Jumped into the freezing water. Fought. Wept. Danced. Sang. And grew my own beard.

Eil sgeulachdan cudromach? Does storytelling matter?

[APC] Tha: chan eil againn ach an deagh sgeul.  There is nothing else: bad news and good news.

Dè an rud a b' fhearr mu bhith an sàs ann an Seachd? What was the best thing about making Seachd?

[APC] Dìreach a' dearbhadh gu bheil a Ghàidhlig cho freagarrach son meadhan sam bith anns an 21mh linn. Bha na seann sgeulachdan againn riamh cho dealbhach, agus chan eil mise faicinn adbhar carson nach biodh sinn fada nas misneachaile na tha sinn mu bhith a' cleachdadh ar cànan ann am meadhan ùr sam bith a thilgeis an linn seo oirnn. Affirming, at least to myself, that Gaelic and Cinema (the ancient and the modern) are no strangers. Traditional Gaelic oral story-telling was always a hugely visual process and medium, and it was great to step forth in these pictorial shoes. And the relationships on set were great: lots of fun as well as lots of midgies!

Dè as fhèarr leat - leabhar no fiolm? So which do you prefer - a book or a film?

[APC] Leam fhèin, film. Le sluagh, film. There - the best of both worlds! On my own, a book. With a crowd, a film.

Previous interviews:

An interview with Padruig Moireasdan (Aonghas, 9)

An interview with Ian Dodds (Cinematographer)

An interview with Jo Cockwell (Co-Writer)

An interview with John L Cobban (Sound Designer)

An interview with Aonghas Macneacail (Co-Writer)

An interview with Aonghas MacAoidh (Editor)

An interview with Vidal Sancho (The Spaniard)