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A Brand New Showreel and a (Somewhat) New Website

1/3/2022

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Happy new year! We haven't had any blog posts for a while but things have been anything but quiet here at Scotica. We recently launched a new winter climbing promo for our good friends at OceanVertical (more on that next week) but today's news is our new showreel and (somewhat) new website for 2022! The film is a feast for your eyes and adventurous spirit, so have a watch (it's only a minute) and plunge into the wild landscapes we call home:
You'll find some old favourite footage there, but also a few teasers for some projects currently in the works. We can't wait to share them with you in due course, so keep an eye on this blog as well as our social feeds (Fpick your poison - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn).

We've also given the website a refresh, slimming it down to one elegant page and getting straight to the good stuff: lots of images and videos. Have a browse, find out something new and don't forget to share with your friend who's just as in love with adventure and wilderness as you.

And finally, just as a reminder, you can still catch our first independent documentary, Small Country, over on Kendal Mountain Player. You get access not only to this documentary but dozens of other incredible films from all over the world about wild places and people.

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'Small Country' Now Streaming On-Demand (& an Award)

13/12/2021

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In case you missed it, we announced last week that 'Small Country' is now available to stream on-demand courtesy of Kendal Mountain Festival. So if you aren't lucky enough to live on the West coast of Scotland, where the film has been touring with the Screen Machine for much of this year, then now is your chance to finally see it (from the comfort of your own home no less)!

Kendal Mountain Player is a fantastic streaming service bringing you all the best films and features from the Festival, as well as a whole host of other media. You can find and watch 'Small Country' by going to the Mountain Player website and finding the 'Change Makers' selection - or alternatively, use this link.

In other equally-exciting news, the film recently screened at the Soho London Independent Film Festival, where it won and award for 'Best Social and Environmental Film'. Director Gregor D Sinclair was unable to attend the award ceremony in person, but appeared virtually to accept the award. You can view the ceremony here.
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Even More Dates for 'Small Country'!

27/8/2021

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First of all, a huge thank you to all who have been attending the Screen Machine showings of 'Small Country' and 'Islands in Film' up and down the west coast. The feedback to the film has been fantastic so far and we can't wait for more people to have access to see it. Today, we're delighted to share yet more screening dates with you all, including a few places featuring prominently in the film!

Tickets are currently on-sale for:
Lochcarron - Sat 28.08 (TOMORROW)
​Gairloch - Tue 31.08
Ullapool - Sat 04.09
Lochinver - Tue 07.09
Kinlochbervie - Thu 09.09

Tickets, as well as more information about the films, can be found here. We look forward to seeing you there! And if you aren't lucky enough to live on the west coast, we're hoping to bring 'Small Country' to even more places throughout the rest of the year, so keep an eye on this space.

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'Small Country' Hits the Road

21/7/2021

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It's been a while since our last blog post, so first of all, thank you to all who attended the long-awaited premiere of 'Small Country' at the Highland Cinema. It was a joy to finally get the film out into the world, and the screening's following Q&A yielded some very interesting conversation around many of the film's major themes - land reform, agriculture, youth migration, population transition and tourism.

Now, for all those elsewhere along the west coast of Scotland unable to make it to the premiere, we're thrilled to announce 'Small Country' will hit the road (literally) with the Screen Machine. For those not in the know, the Screen Machine is Scotland's mobile cinema bringing blockbusters and independent films alike to small, remote and isolated communities where normally getting to a cinema would be a challenge. They're a magnificent asset to the Scottish Highlands and Islands, and on a personal note it's where I had my first ever cinema experience up in Orkney.

The film will be screening in a double-feature along with 'Islands in Film', a brilliant look at a single week in lockdown living on Mull, Iona, Ulva and Gometra. With footage from more than 70 contributors, it has been described as a "portrait of life in lockdown" by Mull-based director Alasdair Satchel.  The film's trailer can be viewed here.

'Small Country' and 'Islands in Film' will begin their Highlands & Islands tour in Brodick on the 24th of July, with tickets also on-sale currently for Jura (26th) and Port Ellen (29th). More tickets for venues up the coast will be going on-sale over the coming weeks, so be sure to keep checking our social media pages (and Screen Machine's) for updates on when 'Small Country' will be coming to you. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

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'Small Country' in the BBC and on the Big Screen

21/5/2021

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What a week! First and foremost, we are thrilled to be announcing at long last the UK premiere of 'Small Country', at the Highland Cinema in Fort William, on June 27th at 2pm, followed by a short theatrical run. It'll be a special event, with myself in attendance giving a short introduction as well as holding a discussion after the film. If you've been following along with the project and are dying to finally see the film (and are able to get to Fort William), now's your chance! And if not, we will have more announcements coming this year about appearances elsewhere in the UK (and hopefully the Highlands), as well as availability for viewing online on-demand.

Tickets for the 27th are on-sale now, with the additional days becoming available soon (so keep an eye on the site): 
https://highlandcinema.co.uk/film/small-country-scotia/
If you have Facebook, you can join and share the event page: https://fb.me/e/cZsKALbmD

In other news, the film also featured on the BBC News homepage this week, where a short interview with myself rose to #3 in trending videos! For a sneak peak at a couple of scenes from the film previously unseen, head over to https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-57123245
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'Small Country' Launch Trailer Released!

13/1/2021

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We are delighted to release this week the official launch trailer for 'Small Country', which marks the completion of the film and its submission to festivals across the UK and internationally. You can view the new trailer below.

What follows is my director's statement on the launch of the film, and its significance to me personally.

I’ve wanted the voices of small, remote communities to be heard ever since I left mine and realised they weren’t. I grew up on a small island in the Orkney Isles, and spent much of my childhood in the Northwest Highlands, in particular the remote Applecross peninsula. Spending my foundational years getting to know these beautiful and intimiate but isolated places made it a revelation, when I did come to move south (as almost all of my generation have done), that the world beyond them is largely urban-centric, caring little for rural and ecological issues.

The Northwest Mainland has an area of nearly 4,000km2, but with a population of under 10,000. That’s a fewer people than live in Clapham Junction, which covers less than 1km2. It’s a sparser population than anywhere else in Western Europe, and yet it accounts for such an enormous part of our country - geographically, yes, but also culturally, ecologically and economically. This is the contradiction which inspired the documentary, and in turn its ironic title.

In many ways, the area is in fact shrinking. The traditional industries of the 20th century (crofting, farming, fishing, working estates), which were all responsible for keeping people and wealth in the area, have partly or wholly disappeared. With them have gone a generation of young workers, of whom I count myself one. What remains, thanks in part to increased publicity by social media, is tourism. The views on this are mixed - to many, it has done little to entice emigrees back, without much in the way of career progression, and making affordable housing nonexistent.

The issues also cross into ecological territory, with questions around rewilding hot in nationwide public debate today. On principle, the prospect of a ‘wilder’ Highland, whose hills and moors were once covered in a thick forest that has since been stripped back by centuries of agriculture, is very attractive. But with ‘Small Country’, I aim to go deeper than these surface-level arguments, and relay the stories and beliefs of those who actually live and work on this land.

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The central message of the film, if there is one, is that we must prevent these debates becoming polarised, and that no one view is more or less valuable than another. In listening to those to whom we are most diametrically opposed, we have nothing to lose but our ignorance.

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'Small Country' - What's in a Name?

8/1/2021

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First, some housekeeping: happy New Year! It's been a couple of months since I've posted on the Scotica blog, with lockdown returning to Scotland shoots have regrettably had to be put on hold. So instead, we've put our heads down and are powering through the final stages of post-production on 'Small Country'. The film is now in a state where it's ready to be sent off to festivals which, if all goes well, will be back to in-person events later this year. Which brings us to our first feature:

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This is the official poster for 'Small Country', featuring Ben and David Oakes of Sconser Scallops against a backdrop of their home and workplace, the dramatic Loch Sligachan. This brings me onto something I felt I should commit to writing at some point: why 'Small Country'?

The Northwest Highlands is a big place. From Kyle of Lochalsh all the way up to Cape Wrath, the road through the Highlands is 200 miles of sublime, weather-beaten scenery without break. For outdoor enthusiasts, there is more than enough hiking, climbing and biking in this area to fill a lifetime. It lays claim to one of the largest areas of wilderness this side of Oslo. The mainland section of this area (ie. not counting Skye or any islands) a colossal 4,000km2.

And yet, it supports a minuscule population, under 10,000 in total. That's the lowest population density in Western Europe, a fewer number of people than are squeezed into Clapham Junction in London. Their communities are equally small and disparate, with the largest settlement being the village of Ullapool. These communities, though geographically isolated, and nonetheless intimately connected within themselves and between each other. I was able to trace a direct line of acquaintance through every single contributor to the film.

The title 'Small Country' comes in part between this contradiction between the landscape and the people within it. But the film is first and foremost a timely one, which aims to document a juncture of turmoil for both. As the communities are shrinking further, with more and more of the population retirees or temporary residents, their role in the wider world is only growing. Large-scale industries and fast tourism are making more of an effect on the Highland landscape every year, and in turn the area is being forced to adapt to changes faster than it has ever before in its long history.

'Small Country' will be heading to festivals (virtually and in-person) across the UK throughout 2021. In the meantime, a new trailer will be dropping next Tuesday (12/01) - so mark your calendars and keep an eye on your feeds!

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Running an Outdoor Business During COVID-19

13/10/2020

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Regardless of what sector we work in, we've heard it a thousand times over the past six months. "We are living in unprecedented times." While we may be sick of hearing it, it holds true. And yet in spite of this time of exceptional change and uncertainty, there remain constants all around us. The environment in which we live, the mountains, the lochs, the forests and all their wildlife; they are untouched by this pandemic, oblivious to our societal problems and government restrictions. They existed here long before us, and will continue to exist long after we are gone.

As more and more people become aware of, and reflect on, the constancy of the outdoors and the solace it brings, the more they seek to explore it, to escape from their homes and use it as a means to reconnect with themselves, their loved ones and nature. Even against the boom in rural tourism in recent years, this summer has seen an unparalleled exodus from the towns and cities into our countryside and wildernesses. Though the majority of those now reconnecting with the outdoors are doing so in a responsible, safe and legal way, we've all doubtlessly seen our share of media stories about accidents, large gatherings, parking chaos, waste, fires and so on.

The upshot of all this is that the responsibilities of outdoor companies as mediators of the connection between the public and our landscape have never been more important. From large organisations to local businesses, we have always had a duty of care towards both our customers and the environment we help them enjoy. However, this duty has now expanded, not just to a new and wider audience, but also a new and wider set of risks associated with a pandemic. Never has it been more critical to be present, available and reaching out to those who use our products, services and more generally the outdoors.

As an outdoor services provider working in hazardous environments and conditions, maximising safety and minimising risk has always been at the forefront of Scotica's considerations on-location - as will be the case with any other business in this field. The effect of the pandemic on our work, therefore, should only constitute another set of potential hazards to mitigate in our operations. While it is critical we follow government guidance carefully (and be aware when it changes as it most certainly will), in many cases it does not prohibit an enjoyable and responsible experience in nature. The outdoors is not closed.

And when it comes to communications, there is a positive we can glean from all this. Now is the best chance we have ever had to reconnect with the public and show them what this country truly has to offer. At a time when international travel is restricted and may not be advisable for six months or more, our duty is not only to the safeguarding of our beautiful places but also championing them. There are always adventures closer to home to be had. To reach people in their homes now requires new methods of digital communication, fresh strategies and approaches, to make them think, feel, and show them what this "new normal" can look like.
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A New Journey Begins with 'Small Country'

17/9/2020

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In Spring 2019, Scotica embarked upon its greatest journey yet, travelling the length of the northwest coast of Scotland, capturing the livelihoods and stories of its scattered and yet extremely tight-knit populace. We had set out to learn about, and tell the story of, what it means to live in the most remote locales in mainland Britain: the challenges of everyday life, and the effects of an explosion of tourism on traditional industries and communities. Instead, what we came away with was a much deeper exploration of a powerful and complex relationship - that between a landscape and those who subsist from it entirely.

The relationship we discovered was muti-faceted: economic, historical, cultural, social, and always intensely purposeful. As Assynt-born-and-bred Stewart Yates put it to us:
"I just feel I have real roots in the landscape - it gives me nourishment for my soul. The geology, the fauna and flora, the myths and legends and all the things that weave together to make this place so special, because it is an enormously special place. I use the landscape, and I benefit from it. You can still have people living in a wilderness."

Of particular interest became the concept of crofting - a system that many not local to the area may only be tangentially aware of, but one which forms the very foundations of all culture and economy in the Northwest. The crofting system historically was what created communities, bound them together, and provided them with their means of survival. Nowadays, though there are some who still croft in the traditional sense, actual crofting-based communities have disappeared completely and those who still lay claim to crofts have adapted them to a more modern context. Shepherd Peter Stewarts has seen the crofts that historically made up his farm transformed, merged and now reliant on additional support from east-coast areas where the weather and terrain are more amenable. Scallop divers Ben and David Oakes maintain what they refer to as a 'sea-croft' in Loch Sligachan, a protected marine environment. Stewart Yates keeps his croft near Achmelvich as one of the few remaining areas of true ancient woodland in all of Scotland. Carpenter George Graham, having constructed a house on his croft, defines them as "a small area of land surrounded by legislation".

There were many other areas that inspired us in the making of Small Country which I will write about in more detail here over the coming months. Pickups are scheduled for November and December of 2020, with a festival run beginning in early 2021 - so expect more information and media coming your way soon.

Watch the first trailer for 'Small Country' here.

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Making a Boundary-Crossing Adventure Film with OceanVertical

8/9/2020

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The brief for Scotica's latest project was to create an all-encompassing brand film for multi-disciplinary adventure collective OceanVertical, showcasing both the beauty of the Scottish landscape and their chosen methods of traversal: mountaineering, climbing, coasteering and paddleboarding. The challenge, therefore, lay in combining these four very different experiences into a single unified journey.

In taking the film from brief to reality, then, we focussed in on the ideas and feelings common to each of these experiences. A love of the landscape in all its variety, in particular a need for wilderness for its own sake. An itch to continually challenge oneself physically and mentally in new contexts. A passion for sharing these experiences with others. An appreciation of, and indeed a need for, time and space completely removed from everyday life, where the distractions of work, home and society, if only for a moment, disappear.

Something we latched onto in particular was that in all our ways of exploring in the outdoors, there are moments of intense motion, of sensory overload and a physical and emotional strenuousness - and yet there are equally, and indeed often simultaneously, moments of inner peace, stillness and quiet. On our first shooting day, we found ourselves on the Tarmachan Ridge in a blizzard, the biting wind whipping cold across our faces, a whirlwind of snow endlessly filling every pocket and fold in our gear. There was seldom time to stop or communicate as we hurried across frozen lochans and eased ourselves down precarious slopes. And yet, as anyone who has experienced a white-out will attest to, even in this scenario there come moments of individual detachment, where time seems to slow and the world around us becomes both extremely close and very distant.

Such is the case when making difficult manoeuvres on a sheer rock face, or freefalling from a precipice into the crashing waves below - one finds oneself, amidst an almost infinitesimal moment of incredible senses, feelings and speed, in a meditative state, where thoughts give way to simply being. This was what we intended to capture and bring to life in this film: the transitory experience of being in a beautiful place, pushing ourselves to reach new heights within ourselves in moments of extremities, and there of all places finding, however fleeting, a sense of peace.

Watch the OceanVertical 2020 Promo here.
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    Gregor D Sinclair is Scotica's director and chronicler. Find all our latest project and company updates here.

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