''Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle'' is a 2007

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

-language Scottish

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

by first-time director, Simon Miller from a story by Simon Miller and Joanne Cockwell. It stars Patrick Morrison/''Pàdruig Moireasdan'' and acclaimed Gaelic

magical realist Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical rea ...

poet and writer

Angus Peter Campbell Angus Peter Campbell (; born 1952) is a Scottish award-winning poet, novelist, journalist, broadcaster and actor. Campbell's works, which are written mainly in Scottish Gaelic, draw heavily upon both Hebridean mythology and folklore and the ma ...

/''Aonghas Pàdraig Chaimbeul'' in the role of the Grandfather.

Toby Robertson Sholto David Maurice Robertson (29 November 1928 – 4 July 2012), known as Toby Robertson, was the artistic director of the Prospect Theatre Company from 1964 to 1978. He was recognized as having "re-established the good name and reputation of ...

Meg Bateman Vivienne Margaret 'Meg' Bateman (born 1959) is a Scottish academic, poet and short story writer. She is best known for her works written in Scottish Gaelic; however, she has also published work in the English language. Education and career Ba ...

, and

Kathleen MacInnes Kathleen MacInnes, or Caitlin NicAonghais in Scottish Gaelic, (born 30 December 1969) is a Scottish singer, who performs primarily in Scottish Gaelic. She is a native of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and lives in Glasgow with her partner ...

also appear in supporting roles. It is the first feature-length film in the

Scottish Gaelic language Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

and was a remade and expanded from a previous short film, ''Foighidinn - The Crimson Snowdrop'', also directed by Miller. Filming began in April 2006 around the Inaccessible Pinnacle at the top of

Sgùrr Dearg is a mountain in the Cuillin on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is topped by the Inaccessible Pinnacle (or An Stac in Gaelic), a fin of rock measuring along its longest edge. The top of the Pinnacle stands at above sea level, making Sgùrr De ...

in the Cuillin mountains on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of ...

in the

Hebrides The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, and was completed in August 2006. The film screened at the Celtic Media Festival in March 2007,The Celtic Media Festival
and made its world premiere at the 61st

Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...

in August 2007. The word () in the title means "seven" and references the number of stories the grandfather originally told.

Plot

When a young man, Angus, visits his dying grandfather in hospital he cannot hold back his boyhood quest for the truth - the truth behind the death of his parents and the truth behind his grandfather's ancient, incredible, fearful stories. Stories from the whole of

Gàidhealtachd The (; English: ''Gaeldom'') usually refers to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and especially the Scottish Gaelic-speaking culture of the area. The similar Irish language word refers, however, solely to Irish-speaking areas. The ter ...

history and rooted in

Hebridean mythology and folklore The Inner and Outer Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland are made up of a great number of large and small islands. These isolated islands are the source of a number of Hebridean myths and legends. The Hebridean Islands are a part of Scotla ...

about poisoned lovers, bloody revenge, water-horses and Spanish gold. His grandfather hijacks Angus' life, for one last time leading him to one of Scotland's most treacherous mountains, the Inaccessible Pinnacle on the Isle of Skye, and an ancient truth; that his grandfather is actually seven hundred years old and personally experienced the

Jacobite risings Jacobitism was a political ideology advocating the restoration of the senior line of the House of Stuart to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British throne. When James II of England chose exile after the November 1688 Glorious Revolution, ...

Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulted from Scottish Agricultural R ...

, and the Education Acts, and about the real origins of each of the seven stories that he never expected to find.

Cast

/''Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul'' as Grandfather *Patrick Morrison/''Pàdruig Moireasdan'' as Aonghas (aged 9) *Coll Macdonald/''Colla Dòmhnallach'' as Aonghas (aged 20) *Dolina MacLennan as Grandmother *David Walker/''Daibhidh Walker'' as Archie *Winnie Brook Young as Màiri *Chris Macdonald/''Crìsdean Dòmhnallach'' as Donnchadh *Annie Macleod/''Annie NicLeòid'' as Akira Gunn *Calum MacFhionghain as The Magician * Scott Handy as Patrick Loch *

as The Duke of Sutherland *Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir as Akira's father * Iain Macrae as Macdonald/''An Dòmhnallach'' * Vidal Sancho as The Spaniard *Isabel NicRath as Sìleas *

as Sìleas' mother *Charles Quinnell/''Tearlach Quinnell'' as ''Each Uisge''/Water-horse *

/''Kathleen NicAonghais'' as Catriona *Eòghainn MacFhionghain as Calum *Angus Macdonald/''Aonghas MacDhòmhnaill'' as The Eldest Son/''Am Mac Bu Shine'' *Kathleen Macdonald/Kathleen NicDhòmhnaill as Ailsa Macleod/''Eilis NicLeòid'' *Iain "Seonachan" MacLeòid as Alec *Aonghas Iain MacDhòmhnaill as Eòghainn *Lachlan Graham as Neach-Leanmhainn *Niall Caimbeul as Geàrrd/Neach-ciùil *Coinneach MacEalair Saighdear *Jim Sutherland as Neach-ciùil *Marian Lloyd as Neach-ciùil *Iseabail Strachan as Neach-ciùil *Fiona NicAsgaill as Neach-ciùil

BAFTA controversy

In the autumn of 2007,

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

refused to put the film, along with the Welsh-language film ''Calon Gaeth'', forward as candidates for the Best Foreign Language Film Category at the 2008 Academy Awards.

Christopher Young Christopher Young (born April 28, 1958) is an American composer of Film score, film and television scores. Many of his compositions are for horror and thriller films, including ''Hellraiser'', ''Species (film), Species'', ''Urban Legend (film) ...

, the film's producer, claimed that the decision was "anti-Gaelic" and resigned his membership of BAFTA. The issue was raised in the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...

Production

The film received funding from the Gaelic Media Service,

BBC Alba BBC Alba is a Scottish Gaelic-language free-to-air public broadcast television channel jointly owned by the BBC and MG Alba. The channel was launched on 19 September 2008 and is on-air for up to seven hours a day. The name ' is the Scottish Gae ...

, the Glasgow Film Office and Scottish Screen. It had a budget of £655,000 ($1.3m) and was shot on

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...

in 2006.

Reception

The film was nominated for 3 BAFTAs and Miller for the Michael Powell Award and was warmly received with comparisons drawn to works such as

Big Fish ''Big Fish'' is a 2003 American fantasy drama film directed by Tim Burton. It is based on the 1998 novel '' Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions'' by Daniel Wallace. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange ...

and

The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by writer William Goldman ** ''The Princess Bride'' (film), 1987 American film adaptation directed by Rob Reiner Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) ...

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0834951, Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle 2007 films Fiction with unreliable narrators Films about adoption Films about single parent families Films based on Celtic mythology Films set in the Outer Hebrides Magic realism films Scottish Gaelic-language films Scottish drama films 2007 directorial debut films 2000s British films