British Council Logo UK Films Database
Project Detail

Blackbird

Synopsis

Young ballad singer Ruadhan watches in distress as the traditional fabric of life in his Scottish village is inexorably eroded. With fish dying and no jobs on land, the young people are escaping to the cities. Meanwhile, the old people of the town, to whom Rhuadan feels closest and whose traditions he wants to preserve, are dying off. A rich, delicate and powerful film with superb cinematography and a stirring soundtrack filled with traditional ballad song (EIFF).

Details

Year
2013
Type of project
Features
Running time
90 mins
Director
Jamie Chambers
Producer
James Barrett
Executive Producer
Margaret Glover, Alasdair Robertson
Editor
Martin McEwan
Screenwriter
Jamie Chambers, John Craine, Robyn Pete
Director of Photography
John Craine
Principal cast
Andrew Rothney, Scarlett Mark, Patrick Wallace, Sheila Stewart, Norman Maclean, Margaret Bennet

Categories

Fiction

Production Status

Complete

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

Suggest amendments

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

When the Song Dies When the Song Dies

Director: Jamie Chambers

Year: 2012

When the Song Dies is a poetic documentary that weaves stories, songs and memories from across Scotland, and places their testament in counterpoint to the richly evocative landscape of Galloway. Exploring the theme of change, the film brings the audience under the captive spell of the old ways.

Scottish
Bandit Michele Di Gè, as an old man reflecting on his outlaw life. Diary of a Bandit (Diario di un brigante)

Director: Henry Worsley

Year: 2027

Italy, 1866. Michele Di Gè, a young shepherd, leads a monotonous life, but dreams of the bandit-filled mountains on the horizon. When he helps his friend flee conscription, Michele sees an opportunity to leave home and prove himself as a man, joining a band of brutal outlaws. But this is not the adventure Michele bargained for – and behind every myth, there hides a stranger and more terrible truth. Shot by an international crew of young independent filmmakers, this film transports you to Italy's own Wild West -- a world never seen before on screen.

Adventure Biography History Literary Adaptation Western
Man wearing shirt exhausted on a blue coloured lounger, in a warm country. Sun umbrellas, pool and palm trees out of focus in the background. The sunlight hits him from the left-hand side. Your Sweet Home

Director: Nataša Cordeaux

Year: 2026

Bill, a timid and overworked Brit, impulsively books a beach escape in the hope of unwinding. On arrival, he's greeted by a mysterious Balkan baba and follows her into the flat of her daughter, Sunny - an eccentric former travel agent. “Welcome to paradise, my darling,” Sunny beams, rebranding their small home into a VIP holiday experience. Out of his depth, Bill is soon commandeered by Sunny’s persuasive upselling and is roped into a unique beach excursion - pay per hour. Each day brings another increasingly absurd encounter: a coffee-cup fortune becomes a massage sales pitch, while an innocent nap takes a strange turn. Yet amidst the oddness, Sunny and Baka’s boundless hospitality and growing fondness for having a man around the house begin to make Bill feel at home. On his final morning, Bill discovers that his bed is actually Baka's bed. Sitting together on the balcony, he confesses his deep dark secret: he’s never been on holiday before and worries he’s doing it wrong. “What a silly thing to worry about,” Sunny says. Bill decides it’s a great day for the beach. Business is back on as Sunny and Baka bicker about how many sandwiches they can sell.

Comedy Experimental Woman Director