CHAIDH UistFilm a chur air bhog le sgioba Thaigh Chearsabhagh an t-Earrach seo, ann an Talla an Ìochdair, ann an Uibhist a Deas.
Airson am pròiseact ùr a ruith, tha an t-ionad-ealain, ann an Uibhist a Tuath, ag obair ann am com-pàirteachas le Museum nan Eilean, stèidhte le Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, a bharrachd air Tasglann Ìomhaighean Gluasadach is Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba.
An-dràsta, tha am pròiseact a’ dol air chuairt, an riochd Bhidio Sgìre, a’ nochdadh ann an ionadan air feadh Innse Gall, eadar Nis is Bhatarsaigh, leis an dòchas gum faigh gach coimhearsnachd cothrom air na filmichean.
Rinneadh mòr-chuid den a bhios air an sgrìneadh mu 1976, a’ tabhann sealladh air na bha beatha eileanach coltach ris, aig an àm sin. Chaidh còrr is ceud teip bhidio a chruinneachadh ro chrìch nan 1970an, is a’ mhòr-chuid dhiubh air an cruthachadh le coimhearsnachdan fhèin. Mar dhìleab Chinema Sgìre, chaidh an didseatadh, rud a nì iad nas fhasa a thasgadh agus cuideachd so-ruigsinneach dhaibh a nochdas ùidh annta.
READ MORE: Meet Scotland's rising Gaelic star Finlay Morrison
Chaidh na filmichean a dhèanamh sa chiad dol-a-mach, mar phròiseact foghlaim ionadail, ann an Uibhist is Barraigh, is chaidh sin a stiùireadh le Mìcheal Russell – a bha mu dheireadh na bhall den Phàrlamaid Albannach is Ministeir Caibineit.
Thug am pròiseact seo cothrom do choimhearsnachdan tuilleadh ionnsachadh, a thaobh ciamar a rinneadh filmichean aig an àm, fhad ’s a bha am beatha làitheil air beulaibh a’ chamara, aig àm a bha cudromach ri linn eachdraidh chinema, is leasachaidhean teicneòlach air buaidh mhòr a thoirt air a’ chùis.
Nuair a dh’fhosgladh Museum nan Eilean, ann an 2016, chaidh na teipichean fa shealbh, ach ràinig luchd-obrach co-dhùnadh ann is nach b’ urrainn dhaibh an cluich, on a bha cruth na teipichean gu math mì-àbhaisteach, an eisimeil air teicneòlas a bha gu math ùr-nòsach aig an àm, ach a chaidh a thrèigsinn, air sgàth leasachaidhean an dàrnacha mìl-aois.
Mar sin, chuir iad romhpa ann an 2020 na chaidh a thasgadh a thoirt seachad Thasglann Ìomhaighean Gluasadach – a tha na roinn de Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba – prìomh ionad sàr-eòlais air tasgadh fhilmichean, san rìoghachd.
O chionn ghoirid, ghlèidh a’ chompanaidh-fhilm ionadail UistFilm an cùmhnant agus le sin, thòisich am pròiseact didseataidh. Thachair seo thoradh soirbheachas an fhilm Dùthchas, fo stiùir Chiorstaidh Dhòmhnallaich, a ghlèidh àite air geàrr-liosta Dhuaisean na Gàidhlig, am-bliadhna. A’ cur thachartasan air dòigh, bheir sgioba UistFilm cothrom do dhaoine nan sgìrean san deach na bhidiothan a chruthachadh, far am bi iad a’ coimhead air earrannan bhon chruinneachadh, airson a’ chiad turas o chionn bhliadhnaichean.
Bheir iad sealladh air coimhearsnachdan, is na caractaran a bha nam pàirt dhiubh. Nam measg, an Nis Leòdhais, tha ‘Jellicoe’, Murchadh Moireasdan, a rugadh ann an 1914 is a sgrìobh an t-òran ‘Òran a’ Bhothain’ am measg grunn eile, leithid ‘Bàs a’ Chait’ is ‘Òran a’ Chàbhaill’, a tha air an tasgadh leis a’ BhBC air a’ ghoireas air-loidhne Bliadhna nan Òran.
San fhilm, chìthear e an às ann an obair thraidiseanta a’ chlò-mhòir, bho rùsgadh chaorach gu luadh. Chan eil seo ach eisimpleir a-mhàin de na feartan de bheatha Ghàidhealach a chaidh an clàradh. Chuireadh na sgeulachdan eileanach an co-theacsa pan-Cheilteach, cuideachd, le filmichean eile a’ sealltainn pròiseactan den cheudna leithid, a bha a’ dol sa Chuimrigh is ann an Èirinn aig an àm.
An taca ris an iomairt gus film eachdraidheil ath-bheothachadh, tha pròiseact gus film ùr a dhèanamh air a chur an gnìomh, le iomairt Crowdfunder, a thàinig gu crìch, am mìos a dh’fhalbh.
Fo stiùir Alec Bowman Clarke, ann an Eilean Bhòid, tha Never Again an sgeulachd de theaghlach de cheathrar, agus gille beag Blake a’ tighinn gu aois. Chìthear coileanaidhean aig daoine cliùiteach leithid Màiri Anna NicUalraig ann riochd Nora, agus Gordon J. Millar – aithnichte am measg luchd-cleachdaidh Instagram is TikTok mar riochdaire Scot Street Style. Le ceòl aig Josienne Clarke, tòisichidh prìomh-dhealbh-thogail ann am Baile Bhòid air 7mh an Lùnastail.
Faodar taic a chumail ris an iomairt fhathast, le bhith a’ cur fios gu Bowman Clarke tron làraich-lìn aige www.alecbowmanclarke.com.
English Translation
Highlands and Islands Films being Archived, Screened and Made
UistFilm was launched by the team behind Taigh Chearsabhagh this spring, in Iochdar community hall, in South Uist.
To set up the project, thar arts centre, located in North Uist, has been working in conjunction with Museum nan Eilean, set-up by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, as well as the Moving Image Archive and the National Library of Scotland.
Presently, the project is touring, in the guise of Bhidio Sgìre, at locations throughout the Western Isles, from Ness to Vatersay, in the hopes that every community in between will get a chance to see the films.
The majority of that to be screen was made in 1976, offering perspectives on what island life was like, at the time. Over a hundred video tapes had been gathered together before the end of the 1970s, and the majority of them made by communities themselves. Working with the legacy of Cinema Sgìre, they were then digitised, in a bid to make them easier to archive and easier to access for those keen to engage with the footage.
The films were first made, as part of a local education project, in Uist and Barra, and directed by Mike Russell – who was latterly an MSP and Cabinet Minister.
The project offered an opportunity to communities wanting to learn more about how films were made at the time, placing their own daily lives in front of the camera, at the point in time which was pivotal in the history of cinema, with technological developments having major impact on film production.
When Museum nan Eilean was opened, in 2016, the tapes came under their ownership, by staff there reached the conclusion that they couldn’t be played, as the format of the tapes was so unusual, and depended on technology which, despite at the time being new-fangled, has been superseded with the turn of the second millennium.
Instead, in 2020 the decision was reached to turn the archive over to the Moving Image Archive – the nation’s primary centre of excellence in the field of film archiving.
Recently, the local film company UistFilm secured the contract, and with that the digitisation project began in earnest. This came about off the back of the success of the film Dùthchas, directed by Kirsty MacDonald, that was shortlisted for a Scottish Gaelic Award, this year. In organising the events, UistFilm will allow local island residents, currently living where the films were made, the chance to see excerpts from the collection, for the first time in years.
Each film has a keen eye on communities, and the characters which contribute to them. Amongst them, in Ness, Lewis, is ‘Jellicoe’, Murdo Morrison, who was born in 1914 and wrote the song ‘Òran a’ Bhothain’ as well as others, such as ‘Bàs a’ Chait’ and ‘Òran a’ Chàbhaill’, which have been archived by the BBC on the online resource Bliadhna nan Òran.
In the film, he is seen as a traditional craftsman, involved in the production of the tweed, from the shearing of the sheep to the loom. This is just one example of the aspects of Gaelic-speaking life that have been recorded. The island stories are also placed in pan-Celtic context, with other such projects featured, which were taking place in Wales and in Ireland at the same juncture.
In counterpoint with the developments to revitalise historical cinema, another project seeking to make a new film is well underway, with a Crowdfunder campaign, which came to an end last month.
Directed by Alec Bowman Clarke, in the Isle of Bute, Never Again is the story of a family of four, and a coming-of-age tale centring young boy Blake. Showcasing performances from weel-kent faces such as Mary Ann Kennedy, as Nora, the film also features Gordon J. Millar – known to Instagram and TikTok followers as the driving force behind Scot Street Style. Also including music from Josienne Clarke, principle photography will begin in Rothesay on 7th August.
Film afficionados can still support the campaign, so get in contact with Bowman Clarke through his website – alecbowmanclarke.com.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here