Champagne galore! Director promises Hebridean hoolie if movie wins big at the Scottish Baftas
Team behind acclaimed film want to return to thank islanders for their help
The director of the island movie leading the Bafta Scotland nominations has pledged to celebrate any success in the Hebrides.
Limbo, the acclaimed comedy drama set on the Western Isles, has earned five nominations at the prestigious TV and film awards.
A planned Hebridean premiere was delayed due to pandemic restrictions but the team behind the film’s success have vowed that if they do win any of the big prizes at the ceremony on November 20, they’ll be taking them to the islands for a proper celebration.
Writer- director Ben Sharrock said he and producers Irune Gurtubai and Angus Lamont want to stage a special screening on the Uist islands to thank locals for their help in making the film.
He said: “We’ve still not had the experience of showing it there with the people that worked on it because of the nature of the pandemic.
“But that will be amazing when we get to do that and share the success and the recognition of the last year and a half with them.
“If we were to win any of the Scottish Baftas, we’d definitely be taking those Bafta heads to the screening on Uist.”
The movie, about a Syrian musician living on a remote island while going through the asylum process, was one of the most-talkedabout films on the festival circuit and had been accepted to Cannes before its Covid-related cancellation. Released in British cinemas over the summer, it was hailed as one of the best Scottish movies ever made, and nominated for two UK film Baftas. Limbo is now up for best film at the Scottish Baftas, and Sharrock is nominated for best writer and best director, while actors Amir El- Masry and Vikash Bhai are both nominated for their roles. Edinburgh- born Sharrock said: “They couldn’t be more deserving of their nominations. The two of them were absolutely perfect in the film and they both put so much work into it, it’s brilliant to see them get that recognition.”
The movie, now streaming on home entertainment service Mubi, was inspired by Sharrock’s student year spent living in Damascus before the Syrian civil war erupted.
He has been left heartbroken by the thousands of deaths and displacement in the country he loves and channelled that into his story about one man trying to cope with grief and loss while adjusting to life in Scotland.
Sharrock added: “One of the great things about the journey of the film and its continued recognition is that we wanted to spotlight the issues around the refugee crisis and the situation for refugees in Scotland and the UK in general.
“We keep getting contacted by more and more people that have been through the asylum system and refugee organisations saying the film has impacted them and they want to use the film as well.
“Getting Bafta Scotland nominations is another step to helping get this film out there to as many people as possible.”
Sharrock admitted he and Gurtubai, his wife, are unlikely to make the ceremony themselves as they have plans of their own at home in the Basque Country next month.
He revealed: “Irune is having a baby, due at the beginning of November, so I’m busy trying to get as far ahead with writing the next screenplay as possible before the baby arrives.
“Irune is definitely not going to be able to go to the Scottish Baftas, and I’m playing it by ear depending on when the baby arrives.”
He added: “Hopefully Amir and Vikash will be there so we’ll be well represented.”