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ROMEFILMFEST Alice in the City

Seachd, an act of love for Gaelic culture

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“Làn fhìrinn na sgeòil”: truth lies in a story. And it through a story, and through tradition and history, that Aonghas will discover the truth about his family.

Seachd - The Inaccessible Pinnacle, the debut film by young Scottish director Simon Miller presented at the RomeFilmFest in the Alice in the City section, is a film on the importance of one’s roots and the power of storytelling, especially oral storytelling, to enrich our lives.

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The feature was shot entirely in Gaelic and stars young Padruig Morrison, who attended the film’s Roman premiere in traditional attire. Warmly applauded by the audience of young viewers at its screening, Seachd centres on Aonghas, whose childhood is filled with the incredible stories of his grandfather (Angus Peter Campbell), from a Gaelic repertoire of poisoned lovers, bloody vendettas and inaccessible pinnacles.

The film is an act of love towards a tradition that risks being forgotten altogether. “Keeping it alive is a continuous battle,” said producer Christopher Young, “which is why we chose to make this film with children who speak Gaelic the entire time and play traditional instruments. Tradition is in their hands”.

Shot entirely on the Isle of Skye, off of Scotland’s west coat, Seachd features breathtaking landscapes and the inaccessible pinnacle of the title was actually scaled by the actors and crew. “Not having money for a helicopter, we ended up climbing the mountain four times to shoot several scenes, dividing up the camera and various equipment in our backpacks,” said Miller.

An independent production (Young Films), Seachd was shot on a low budget of £680,000 and is the first Scottish Gaelic-language feature made specifically for the cinema. “It was a privilege for me to shoot my first film in this language, unknown to most but still spoken by 60,000 people on the Scottish islands,” concluded the director.

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(Translated from Italian)

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