HAMISH – DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT HAMISH HENDERSON, PREMIERE
TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2016 – GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL
HAMISH Henderson (1919-2002) was a colossal figure in Scottish culture, a man of boundless passion and curiosity whose poems continue to elevate and inspire a nation.
Robbie Fraser’s highly-anticipated documentary pays tribute to the many contrary forces and diverse facets of Henderson’s life as a poet, soldier, intellectual, activist, songwriter and leading force in the revival of Scottish folk music.
Produced by Bees Nees Media – in association with Pure Magic Films – the documentary film is a heartfelt tribute to one of modern Scotland’s proudest sons and weaves golden archive footage with the loving testimony of Henderson’s family, friends and colleagues.
Henderson’s experience of war acted as a catalyst for his poem sequence, Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica, for which he received the Somerset Maugham Award in 1949.
Begins a spokesperson: “Henderson became an integral part of the Scottish folk movement when he accompanied the American folklorist, Alan Lomax, on a collection tour of Scotland.
“His career as a collector not only established his place as a permanent member of staff at the School of Scottish Studies but also led him to return to his native Blairgowrie making the travellers who berry-picked in summer his particular area of activity. He beautifully described this time as like ‘sitting under Niagara Falls with a tin can’.
“Henderson helped establish the Edinburgh’s People’s Festival in 1951. It put traditional Scottish folk music on a public stage for the first time and arguably evolved into the internationally-renowned Edinburgh Fringe as we know it today.
“As folk clubs sprung up and modern folk songs bled into the mainstream, often these songs contained political themes and Henderson’s own compositions Freedom Come Aa’ Ye and John Maclean March were written into the fabric of Scottish culture.
“In 1983, he turned down an OBE in protest of the nuclear arms policy of Margaret Thatcher’s government and as a result was voted Scot of the Year by BBC Radio Scotland listeners. He was bisexual and campaigned for equal rights, Scottish independence and was a strong supporter of the release of Nelson Mandela.”
Supported by Creative Scotland and MG ALBA the film will have its premier at the Glasgow Film Festival and will broadcast on BBC ALBA autumn 2016.
ENDS
For further information please contact Lorna Gardner or Gary McQueen at Media House on 0141 220 6040 or email lorna@mediahouse.co.uk / gary@mediahouse.co.uk.
BBC ALBA is run by MG ALBA in partnership with the BBC. MG ALBA is the operating name of Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig, the Gaelic Media Service. Find out more about MG ALBA and the partnership at www.mgalba.com or visit www.bbcalba.co.uk for scheduling and programme information.
HAMISH – FILM SÒNRAICHTE MU BHEATHA SHEUMAIS MHICEANRAIG – A’ CHIAD RO-SHEALLADH
DIMÀIRT 23 AN GEARRAN aig FÈIS FILM GHLASCHU
BHA Seumas MacEanraig (1919-2002) na dhuine shuaicheanta ann an cultar na h-Alba, fear le spionnadh gun chrìoch. Tha a bhàrdachd fhathast a’ toirt togail agus a’ brosnachadh na dùthcha. Tha am film aithriseach aig Robbie Fraser a’ dèanamh luaidh air a’ bheatha ioma-fhillte a bh’ aig MacEanraig; bàrd, saighdear, fear tulchuiseach, iomairteach, sgrìobhaiche òrain agus na chùl-taic do ath-bheothachadh ceòl traidiseanta na h-Alba.
Bho thaigh nan dilleachdan agus trannsaichean Chambridge gu bhith os cionn ghnothaichean nuair a ghèill feachdan na h-Eadailt anns an Dàrna Cogadh agus sgrìobhadh ‘Freedom Come Aa’ Ye’, ‘s e seo sgeulachd beatha MhicEanraig air a h-innse leis an fheadhainn a bha eòlach air agus a bha measail air.
Tha luaidh ga dhèanamh air sàr Albannach, a’ fighe seann fhilmichean agus àrd-mholaidhean bho chàirdean agus bho charaidean.
Bhrosnaich na chunnaic e sa chogadh MacEanraig gu bàrdachd a dhèanamh agus choisinn, Elegies for the dead in Cyrenaica, duais Somerset Maugham dha ann an 1949.
Bha e an teis-mheadhan iomairt ceòl folk nuair a chaidh e an cois, Alan Lomax, agus e a’ cruinneachadh beul-aithris air feadh Alba. Às dèidh mar a shoirbhich dha mar neach-cruinneachaidh beul-aithris, choisinn a dheagh chliù àite dha MacEanraig ann an Sgoil Eòlais na h-Alba. Thug sin e air ais gu tìr a bhreith ann am Blàr Ghobharaidh agus rinn e sgrùdadh mhionaideach air an luchd-buana-dhearcan.
Ann an 1951, bha MacEanraig am measg an fheadhainn a chur Fèis Edinburgh’s People air bhonn, tachartas a chuir ceòl traidiseanta na h-Alba fa chomhair a’ mhòr shluaigh airson a’ chiad uair. Chanadh cuid gur ann à sin a dh’èirich Iomall Fèis Dhùn Èideann, an fhèis chliùmhor eadar-nàiseanta air a bheil sinn eòlach an-diugh.
Mheudaich àireamh nan clubaichean folk agus nua-òrain folk. Gu tric, b’ ann mu chuspairean poileataigeach a bha na h-òrain sin agus bha na h-òrain a sgrìobh MacEanraig, Freedom Come Aa’ Ye & John Maclean March mar phàirt de chultar agus dualchas na h-Alba.
Ann an 1983, dhiùlt e OBE ri linn ‘s gu robh e an aghaidh a’ phoileasaidh armachd niùclasach a bh’ aig riaghaltas Thatcher agus chaidh urram Albannach na Bliadhna a bhuileachadh air mar thoradh air seo. Bha e dà-ghnèitheasach, agus fosgailte mu dheidhinn, bhiodh e ag iomairt airson còraichean co-ionann, neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba agus na neach-iomairt airson Nelson Mandela a shaoradh bhon phrìosan.
Le taic bho Alba Chruthachail agus MG ALBA, gheibh am film a’ chiad ro-shealladh aig Fèis Film Ghlaschu agus thèid a chraoladh air BBC ALBA as t-fhoghair 2016.
Gheibhear fiosrachadh mun fhilm aig a’ cheangal seo HERE
Bha am film air a riochdachadh le Bees Ness Media ann an co-bhoinn ri Pure Magic Films
Airson tuilleadh fiosrachaidh cuiribh fios gu Lorna Gardner no Gary McQueen aig Media House air 0141 220 6040 no cuir post-dealain gu lorna@mediahouse.co.uk / gary@mediahouse.co.uk.
Fios do luchd-deasachaidh
Tha BBC ALBA air a ruith le MG ALBA ann an co-bhanntachd ris a’ BhBC. Is e MG ALBA an t-ainm fo bheil Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig (Gaelic Media Service) ag obair. Faigh a-mach tuilleadh mu MG ALBA agus an co-bhanntachd aig www.mgalba.com no tadhal air www.bbcalba.co.uk airson fiosrachadh mu chlàran agus phrògraman.
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